Information for this report was gathered from espn.go.com and cbc.ca.
Athletes with and without ties to Haiti are stepping up to lead relief efforts to the earthquake stricken nation. Among those efforts:
Indianapolis Colts receiver Pierre Garçon already had plans to travel to Haiti in April with his charitable organization, the Pierre Garçon Foundation. But after the earthquake struck, Garçon started using his Twitter account to ask fans for immediate help.
Denver Broncos linebacker Elvis Dumervil is urging people to donate to help the relief effort by texting "YELE" to 501501; $5 will automatically be charged to their wireless account. The money goes to hip-hop artist Wyclef Jean's Haitian charity, Yéle Haiti.
Former American League MVP Miguel Tejada is preparing a container van with emergency supplies that will be sent to Haiti. "I've authorized my staff to prepare a shipment to help the needy people in Haiti as soon as possible," Tejada told ESPNdeportes.com. "The plan is to fill up a container van with items needed in an emergency. In these situations they would need water, canned food, medicine, powdered milk and kids clothes." Tejada said the Haitian Consulate in Miami would be in charge of channeling the aid. Tejada also encouraged others to coordinate any aid through the consulate.
The New York Yankees announced Wednesday they would donate $500,000 in support of rescue and relief efforts following the earthquake in Haiti. The Yankees hope their donation will inspire people throughout the United States to do everything they can to aid the people of Haiti.
HoundDogs, a Knoxville, Tennessee retailer which sells Tennessee Volunteers apparel, advertised a 20 percent discount for fans who brought shirts to the store for donation. In addition, the owners were hoping to turn a "negative into a positive" when they heard fans talk of burning and ripping up shirts with the former Vols coach's name or face on them in the wake of Kiffin's abrupt resignation. (He accepted the head-coaching job at Southern California.) The store has already been promised a large donation of shirts from a fan in Maryland.
Philadelphia 76ers center Samuel Dalembert will present a $100,000 check for Haiti earthquake relief during the team's next game, the club announced on its website. Dalembert will also match fan donations dollar for dollar at Friday's game against Sacramento through his foundation, which partners with UNICEF, Feed the Children and the American Red Cross.
Yvenson Bernard, a running back for the Canadian Football League's Winnipeg Blue Bombers, announced Wednesday the creation of a relief fund, with details on how to donate money on the Blue Bombers website.
Commissioner Bud Selig announced Thursday that Major League Baseball is donating $1 million on behalf of the league and its 30 teams. MLB also encouraged fans to help in the relief efforts as part of its global outreach program, "Going Beyond." MLB Network will air public service announcements encouraging fans to make donations aiding Haitian relief efforts, and MLB.com will prominently display links to UNICEF where fans can make contributions online.
May the hand of God continue to touch the earthquake victims through these efforts, and inspire many more people to help.
It's good to see athletes from many different sports step up and contribute to the relief effort in Haiti after the earthquake. This post doesn't mention it, but Dalembert was actually born in Haiti.
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