Update: Seahawks DE Cliff Avril sets up fundraiser for Haiti support
Oct 11, 2016, 12:04 PM | Updated: Oct 13, 2016, 9:47 am
Update: Seahawks defensive end Cliff Avril has set up a fundraiser on Razoo to help support victims of Hurricane Matthew in Haiti. Avril set a $10,000 goal that he says will provide more than 33,000 meals, 50,000 water units and serve 5,000 patients. The tax-deductible donations will support the Mission of Hope charity.
Original story: With the island of Haiti once again in need, Seahawks defensive end Cliff Avril is doubling down on his humanitarian efforts.
Avril, whose parents were born in Haiti, was active in relief efforts before Hurricane Matthew raged through the Caribbean country that was still recovering from a 2010 earthquake. Besides a death toll that reportedly reached more than 1,000 people, there are rising fears over mass famine and cholera.
The hurricane started it’s assault just days after Avril celebrated the opening of a new schoolhouse in the country. Avril built two new classrooms in in Port-au-Prince over the offseason through the Avril’s Family Foundation. He told “Brock and Salk” Tuesday that he has also pledged to build a new home in Haiti for every sack he makes this season through the New Story charity. Each home cost about $6,000 to build is to be equipped to handle the tumultuous weather that has decimated the country.
“They just don’t have the financial backing to be able to build these homes up there,” he said.
Following the hurricane devastation, though, Avril said that he is switching gears, teaming with the Haitian-based organization called Mission of Hope, which is helping serve food and providing medical relief.
“That’s the right now plan for me,” Avril said. “The homes are something that I want to do by the end of the year.”
Avril’s parents are Haitian and came to the states in the mid-80s. Avril said he used to visit Haiti every summer until he was 15 or 16 years old but hadn’t returned until this past summer.
“I plan on going every year,” he said. “I actually was in the process of looking for land out there because I wanted to build a beach house out there because the beaches are amazing; it’s beautiful out there. But I hold Haiti very close to my heart. It has a lot of history behind the island and whatnot, but they just can’t catch a break in this last decade. It’s been pretty crazy for whatever reason.
“Help is always needed and wanted there as far as these disasters, and I truly believe that we will overcome this as long as we can get the right help, the proper help, and hopefully the money is actually going to the island.”
