Veterans give equipment, hope to future ballers
Stabroek News
May 6, 2007
A group of overseas-based philanthropists is giving the sport of basketball its yearly dose of hope, goodwill and equipment and none are happier than the first beneficiaries, a batch of over 70 young basketball players. The group, the Guyana New York Veterans Basketball Association(GNYVBA), is in Guyana on its yearly mission to give something back to the sport of basketball. Heading this year's team is President of the Association, former national player Hewley Harry. "We began in 1998 when we came down here and played some games against the Georgetown and Linden veteran teams and held some clinics and did some charity work and it spread from there" says Lee Andre Thomas, who is presently the treasurer of the Association. From then the yearly trip has branched off into other areas with hospitals, orphanages and other institutions benefiting from the programme. The team did not visit Guyana last year as several members had prior commitments in addition to other circumstances. But this year, they are looking to make up for the one year hiatus by reaching out to as many underprivileged individuals and organizations as possible. Thomas says the Mahaica Orphanage and some eighty HIV/AIDS infected children have been singled out for special attention. The orphanage will receive clothes and other necessary items while the HIV/AIDS infected children will each receive a special non-medical gift, according to Thomas. He said that while on previous visits the group donated medical supplies to the Georgetown Hospital, these are becoming difficult to obtain as the veterans' contacts on hospital medical boards in the United States are now looking for specifics in terms of the types and quantities of equipment and supplies to be donated. Thomas says the GNYVBA will now be looking to pass along their contacts to the local health officials which should pave the way for some sizeable donations of equipment and supplies to be realized. But he added that regarding the training clinics and programmes that are held every year, the group is disappointed with the lack of follow up when the team leaves. "We leave the basketballs and sneakers that we bring but what we start, we hope to see continued by those that are here in Guyana" Thomas said. With this in mind, the GNYVBA will be looking to build a database including the names and photographs, of those kids that pass through their programme and will monitor their yearly development whenever the team visits.
This, Thomas said will take some doing but he emphasized the groups commitment to be in the programme for the long haul.
The veterans are in Guyana for five days during which they will hold basketball clinics and visit and make donations to hospitals, orphanages and other needy organizations. Coordinating the basketball clinics is Merle Jordan of Pepsi Sonics, the only local basketball club with a pee-wee or kiddie development programme and Vijay Panday.