NBA All-Star Dwight Howard has returned to the United States after a life-changing trip to Haiti from September 17-19. Moved by reports coming out of Haiti since the earthquake and wanting to assess the situation for himself, Dwight ventured to Haiti to support educational and recreational programs that aid the youngest survivors of the massive January earthquake that left 250,000 dead.
In April 2010, Dwight developed the Dwight Howard Fund (DHF) that specifically supports programs that address educational and recreational needs of youth in Haiti. “My main goal was to go to Haiti and put a smile on the kids’ faces. “Visiting Haiti has definitely changed my life. The people there still very much need our help; today, tomorrow and for many years to come,” states Dwight.
In April 2010, Dwight developed the Dwight Howard Fund (DHF) that specifically supports programs that address educational and recreational needs of youth in Haiti. “My main goal was to go to Haiti and put a smile on the kids’ faces. “Visiting Haiti has definitely changed my life. The people there still very much need our help; today, tomorrow and for many years to come,” states Dwight.
Upon arriving in Haiti, Dwight visited several organizations, including the Haitian Olympic Committee (COH), where he visited COH’s youth recreation program within Parc Acra Camp, a tent settlement camp of over 4000 residents in Port-au-Prince. The program provides kids living in the tent camp an opportunity for organized playtime to give them the chance to be kids despite their harsh living conditions. There Dwight announced that the DHF is donating funds to ensure the program’s continuation. He also ran basketball drills with attending kids (approximately 300 children) and distributed black & blue DHF wristbands.
Dwight also visited the Association of Volunteers in International Service (AVSI) where he was a special guest at Maranatha School in Cité Soleil which has 129 enrolled students between the ages of 6 to 13 years. The school organized a special morning of play for the kids in honor of Dwight’s visit and their basketball court in which their basketball court was flooded with over 200 children. The kids sang songs to welcome Dwight and put on a karate demonstration for him. There Dwight announced that the Dwight Howard Fund will support the school for the 2010-2011 school year by covering the cost of teacher salaries, uniforms and school kits.
The final organization visited during his trip was the Global Outreach Haiti Mission, TiTanyen, Haiti, just 15 miles north of Port-au-Prince. There, in partnership with Blessing in a Backpack, Dwight will provide daily nutritious meals for roughly 250 school children throughout the school year.
For more information on Dwight Howard and his relief efforts for Haiti or to request an interview, please contact Janell Barrett Jones at Grace Global PR at 310.859.8870 or Janell@graceglobalpr.com.
For more information on the Dwight Howard Fund for Haiti, please visit:
http://dwighthowardfund.org
For insight into Dwight’s visit to Haiti, please visit his Global Grind page at:
http://globalgrind.com/user/dwighthoward/
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