Keith7
09-08-2005, 03:43 PM
Leopard football coaches lend a helping hand
By DARIN ALLRED
Register Sports Editor
When two busloads of evacuees from New Orleans rolled into Gainesville on Saturday night, there were lots of local volunteers there to help them. Among the helpers were a group of Gainesville High School coaches.
The Texoma Area Chapter of the American Red Cross set up a shelter for the evacuees at the former Gainesville Memorial Hospital building. Citizens of New Orleans who were displaced from their homes by Hurricane Katrina arrived Saturday night around 6:30 p.m.
Volunteers helped feed the new arrivals and provide them with some fresh clothes. Others just offered comfort and support.
Usually, Gainesville Leopards football coaches would be busy meeting and watching film on Saturdays. But last Saturday, Leopard head coach Jeff Cordell and several members of his staff took the time to go down to the shelter and be there when the evacuees got off their buses.
"One of the things we want to do as a coaching staff is give back to the community," Cordell said. "I think that anytime that we as a city can come out and help people in need, that's very important for us. It shows that our coaching staff not only cares about our kids but also the people in our community and the people wanting to come into this community. When I asked the coaches if they wanted to come out here and help, they didn't hesitate to say yes. This is a weekend where we normally prepare for a game, but there are a lot of things more important than football."
Coaches handed out trash bags that the evacuees used to fill with new clothes, since they had nothing but the clothes on their backs. They also spent time talking to those who had lost everything they owned in the hurricane. They also met some of the kids that will be going to Gainesville ISD school while they are staying at the shelter.
Leopard defensive coordinator Patrick Harvell said that he was more than happy to spend a Saturday evening helping those in need.
"I think it's important for anyone to get involved in this, not just coaches," he said. "I'm watching this on TV and my heart is breaking. I told my wife that if I wasn't in the middle of football season, I might pack up and drive down there to New Orleans right now to help out. Whether you're a coach or not, I think you need to get involved and help these people out because it very easily could have been us here in Texas. So I'm glad to be here and help out."
By DARIN ALLRED
Register Sports Editor
When two busloads of evacuees from New Orleans rolled into Gainesville on Saturday night, there were lots of local volunteers there to help them. Among the helpers were a group of Gainesville High School coaches.
The Texoma Area Chapter of the American Red Cross set up a shelter for the evacuees at the former Gainesville Memorial Hospital building. Citizens of New Orleans who were displaced from their homes by Hurricane Katrina arrived Saturday night around 6:30 p.m.
Volunteers helped feed the new arrivals and provide them with some fresh clothes. Others just offered comfort and support.
Usually, Gainesville Leopards football coaches would be busy meeting and watching film on Saturdays. But last Saturday, Leopard head coach Jeff Cordell and several members of his staff took the time to go down to the shelter and be there when the evacuees got off their buses.
"One of the things we want to do as a coaching staff is give back to the community," Cordell said. "I think that anytime that we as a city can come out and help people in need, that's very important for us. It shows that our coaching staff not only cares about our kids but also the people in our community and the people wanting to come into this community. When I asked the coaches if they wanted to come out here and help, they didn't hesitate to say yes. This is a weekend where we normally prepare for a game, but there are a lot of things more important than football."
Coaches handed out trash bags that the evacuees used to fill with new clothes, since they had nothing but the clothes on their backs. They also spent time talking to those who had lost everything they owned in the hurricane. They also met some of the kids that will be going to Gainesville ISD school while they are staying at the shelter.
Leopard defensive coordinator Patrick Harvell said that he was more than happy to spend a Saturday evening helping those in need.
"I think it's important for anyone to get involved in this, not just coaches," he said. "I'm watching this on TV and my heart is breaking. I told my wife that if I wasn't in the middle of football season, I might pack up and drive down there to New Orleans right now to help out. Whether you're a coach or not, I think you need to get involved and help these people out because it very easily could have been us here in Texas. So I'm glad to be here and help out."