Melrose Collecting Sports Equipment, Apparel for Haiti

For the second consecutive year the city of Melrose is collecting sports equipment and apparel that will be donated to the nation of Haiti.

Mayor Robert Dolan, the Human Rights Commission, and the Melrose Recreation Department are working on a project to collect sporting equipment and apparel for the nation of Haiti in connection with Martin Luther King Day Weekend "Day of Service," according to Dolan's blog.

"As many of you know, Haiti was hit very hard in January of 2010 by an earthquake which killed over 300,000 people and displaced close to one million others," Dolan wrote in his blog. "Three years later, there are still scores of thousands of people living under tents in Port-au-Prince. Many public facilities and schools were also damaged and destroyed, leaving many without basic supplies, tools, and equipment.

"Our goal with this drive is to collect new and used sporting equipment and apparel and all school supplies so they can be shipped to over 18 schools in Haiti. These supplies will give children and teenagers a chance to play their favorite sports, get their first team jersey, and have enough equipment to actually play a full game."

Here is an overview of the sporting goods and apparel the city is looking to collect: 

• Sports materials for both sexes: boys/girls and men/women:
• Soccer: soccer balls, jerseys, cleats, socks,
• Volleyball: jerseys, balls, sneakers, socks;
• Basketball: jerseys, balls, sneakers, socks;
• Sports miscellaneous: whistle, air pumps, coach/referees uniforms;
• School supplies: pencils, paper, folders, scissors, etc.

Collection day is slated for Saturday, Jan. 18 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. outside the Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School Gym. The Melrose Recreation Department van will be parked outside of the gym accepting all new and used supplies, reads the blog. The van will be staffed by community volunteers participating in Martin Luther King Day Weekend "Day of Service," adds the blog.

"With your help we hope to send a few van loads of gear to Haiti to help change children’s lives through sports," Dolan wrote in his blog.

For more information, contact the Melrose Recreation Department at 781-979-4179 or email recreation@cityofmelrose.org.

Past Coverage

City Collecting Sporting Goods and Apparel For Nation of Haiti