Sunday, April 26, 2009

Local Student Wants to Help Out in Haiti

To find the published article posted on the site, click here: http://www.dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009905060303
West Morris Mendham High School Junior, Fabian Bock, knows how bad it is in Haiti right now, as he’s been keeping an eye on it for years.

“If you watch the news, you’ll see that there have been hurricanes in Haiti,” Bock says, “[and] when hurricanes hit Haiti, there are landslides [because] there are no more trees in the forest, it’s just clear cut.”

The problem lies in the absence of trees, Fabian believes, as the trees are used as charcoal for a source of fuel in Haiti.

“In the places like the Dominican Republic, [these floods don’t happen],” says Bock, who is both the President of the International Club, as well as a member of the Environmentalist club at school, “it’s because they still have trees [in the DR].”

Bock is not just all talk though, as he actually plans to do something about it when he goes with the Dayspring Ministries in Chester for their trip over to Haiti for his first time, something the Ministry has been doing for years.

“We’ve been going to the Light & Peace Mission in Haiti for the past 11 years now,” says Dayspring Ministries Executive Director, Carol Hawthorne, “We work with seven schools, have an orphanage, a medical clinic, and also a nursery home for the elderly widows.”

Besides going there to help reforest, Bock will also be doing another good deed for all of the Haitian children who may have lost a home in one of the four hurricanes last year—start up a Haitian soccer camp.

“I find that soccer can not only help these people,” Bock says, “But it can also give them hope for the future.”

Bock, a soccer player himself, who, after an injury, had to stop playing for the high school team but now plays for the club team, has also been reaching out to people to gather up equipment such as soccer cleats, uniforms, shin guards, and soccer balls to take over with him when he goes to Haiti on the 18th of this month.

“We’ve received a tremendous amount of support,” Bock says, referring to the amount of donations he’s received thus far, “Much of it coming from soccer players, coaches, and teachers. We’ve received 60 jerseys already.”

Hawthorne thinks Bock is doing a great job getting the word out there.

“He’s quite the kid and very impressive,” Hawthorne says, “He’s gone to great lengths to advertise what he’s doing.”

And Bock is in awe of just how generous people can be.

“It’s great how people are trying to contribute,” Bock says, “by giving in their items from home.”

For questions on how to contribute, contact Fabian at 908-879-0332 (Fabianbock@gmail.com) or Carol Hawthorne, 908-879-6116 (CarolLHaw@aol.com). You can also sponsor a child for the soccer camp with a tax deductible donation of $25. The drop off locations are the containers near the entrance of Chester Schools (Dickerson, Bragg and Black River Middle School) and West Morris High School.

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