The New York Jets announced today efforts to help with Hurricane Sandy relief on the one-year anniversary of the storm and at the next home game on Sunday, Nov. 3.
On Tuesday, Oct. 29, a group of Jets players will travel to Belmar, NJ, one of the hardest hit areas of the Jersey Shore, to help rebuild a school badly damaged by the storm. On Sunday, Nov. 3, the team will host families from some of the most impacted areas on Long Island. Earlier this month, the Jets visited and made a donation to a Play60 Super School middle school on Staten Island, a borough battered by the hurricane.
The Jets have teamed up with The Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund to participate in Tuesday's volunteer project. The relief fund has partnered with Jersey Cares to mobilize 5,000 volunteers in meaningful service projects to continue cleanup and rebuilding efforts throughout Atlantic, Monmouth, Ocean and Bergen counties on the anniversary of Hurricane Sandy.
The project the Jets will be working on is "Sheet Rock & Roll in Belmar" at St. Rose High School and Convent. St. Rose is a private school dedicated to educating and encouraging its students to become global citizens. The school's student body consists of 535 students in grades 9-12. The school had nine feet of water and 800 pounds of fish swimming throughout its basement when Hurricane Sandy hit last October. The nuns lost all of their personal belongings in the basement, including the shelving units. They were displaced from the convent for six months waiting for the building to be inhabitable again. The basement is one area that they did not have funds to repair so the space could be utilized again.
Jets players scheduled to participate are Nick Bellore, Michael Campbell, Ellis Lankster, Chris Pantale, Bilal Powell, Matt Simms and Ryan Quigley.
Volunteers, including the players, will start at 9 a.m. giving the hallways a fresh coat of paint as well as sheetrocking, spackling and painting the convent's basement. Also, volunteers will assemble Welcome Home Painting Kits and create no-sew fleece blankets for homeowners affected by Hurricane Sandy.
In addition to the efforts in Belmar, the Jets will be hosting 50 people from families on Long Island that were affected by Hurricane Sandy at the next home game on Nov. 3 against the New Orleans Saints. These families were identified through the Salvation Army of Nassau and Suffolk counties.
Earlier this month, the Jets, along with the NFL, presented $10,000 in relief funding to I.S. 2 Middle School in Staten Island as part of a Play 60 Super School visit that was postponed from last year due to Hurricane Sandy. Jets players Quinton Coples and Oday Aboushi were on hand to make the presentation, lift the students' spirits and encourage them to get 60 minutes of activity every day. In addition, Aboushi, a native New Yorker, will return to Staten Island on Tuesday to participate in several events commemorating the one-year anniversary of the storm.
For those interested in volunteering and to register for Sandy Service Day, visit jerseycares.org. All volunteers must be preregistered to participate in Sandy Service Day projects.
About Jersey Cares
Jersey Cares is a dynamic nonprofit organization that meets community needs by making volunteering in New Jersey easy and meaningful. Jersey Cares works directly with local nonprofit organizations and schools, identifying their needs and training volunteer leaders to manage projects that address them. Jersey Cares volunteers have provided thousands of hours of service to communities, including: mentoring troubled teens, reaching out to isolated seniors, working with the mentally and physically challenged, restoring the environment and assisting children with their schoolwork. Jersey Cares offers meaningful volunteer opportunities that showcase the rewards of civic engagement and address some of our communities' most serious needs. For more information, visit jerseycares.org.
About The Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund The Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund distributes funds to organizations that support the recovery and rebuilding efforts of New Jersey communities impacted by the storm. The Relief Fund aims to make a sustainable, long-term impact and has awarded grants to 81 organizations, totaling $20 million, to date, for home rebuilding, mold remediation, mental health support, economic development, and financial and legal counseling. Donors interested in making a contribution can visit the Fund online at SandyNJReliefFund.org or make an immediate, one-time $10 donation directly to their phone bill by texting "SANDY" to 20222.
