The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

ALTHOUGH she came home with her mind focused on participating in this week’s Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association’s Giorgio Baldacci Open Nationals tennis tournament at the National Tennis Centre, collegian Sydney Clarke didn’t want to pass up another opportunity to make her charitable gesture to the Bahamas Children’s Emergency Hostel.

For the second year in a row, Clarke hosted a food and clothing drive. This time, however, it was limited to just a drive-up and drop-off process at the hostel on Saturday. And while the response from the community was a little down from last year, Clarke was still grateful to all who showed up to lend a helping hand.

“I felt to help the Children’s Emergency Hostel, so I reached out to Mrs (Charlene) Gibson and she told me what they needed and I tried as best as I could to get those items for them,” Clarke said. “The response wasn’t as good as last year, but there’s always room for improvement, so maybe next year it will be bigger and better.”

With her time limited to getting the project complete before the Christmas holidays, Clarke said she got some items before hand and others had pledged to assist. While not everyone did, Clarke took the opportunity to thank all of those who did on behalf of the hostel.

“I know a lot of people have been busy this time of the year, so I am thankful for all those who made a contribution,” Clarke said. “Going forward, I will just be more flexible and I can reach out to more people as best as I can.”

Gibson, the business manager at the Bahamas Children’s Emergency Hostel for the past two years, said she was happy when Clarke approached her about making another contribution to the home that houses 26 children between the ages of one and 15.

“We wanted to get some clothing this year because with COVID-19, they didn’t have much interaction in the community or in their schools and some of them gained a lot more weight, so clothes was an issue,” she said.

“Everything they had, they basically out grew. So clothing was our major issue and even snacks. We still could use the food because the kids are eating three times a day here at the hostel. So I told her yes she could do it and our board gave her the approval to do the drive-by right here. It wasn’t as much as last year, but we thank everybody who supported us this year.”

Arianna Wells, one of the persons who stopped by to assist Clarke, said every year she tries to do her own Christmas initiative and because she didn’t do anything last year because of COVID-19, when she heard what Clarke was doing, she thought it would be a good idea to assist her.

“This year, its been a little better so when Sydney’s cousin reached out to me, I decided to do this for the Children’s Emergency Hostel, along with giving out gift certificates to random people at Super Value to buy them some grocery,” Wells said.

“I just do it because I love Christmas and I love people. I think it’s good to see people like Sydney who care about people.

“Everybody posts a flyer on social media about their concern about people, but what are they really doing. I think Sydney really cares and that is why I reached out to her with this venture.”

While the gesture by Clarke will go a long way, Gibson said the public can still contact the hostel and make arrangements to provide clothing and other basic necessities for the children.

Persons can email Gibson at bchfinance@ gmail.com or call her at 807-6155. “We are discouraging persons just dropping off items right now without getting our approval because of COVID-19,” she said.

“But interested persons can just call us in advance so that we can be able to assist you when you bring your items to the hostel.”

With her work at the hostel now complete, 20-year-old Clarke will turn her attention on the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association’s Giorgio Baldacci Open Nationals at the National Tennis Centre this week.

She is the defending champion and the top seed in the women’s division.

“This is just more motivation for me to get out on the court and be ready for the tournament,” she said.

“I hope that I can have another successful tournament because I know I’ve been playing very well while I was away in school,” said Clarke, who plays for the University of Arlington at Birmingham Blazers women’s tennis team.