By BRENT STUBBS
Senior Sports Reporter
bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
ALTHOUGH she was coming off her loss in the final of the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association’s 2022 Giorgio Baldacci Open Nationals, Sydney Clarke was quite upbeat as she showed up with a car full of food items and presents at the Children’s Hostel for her third consecutive Christmas giveaway.
The event was held on Friday, one day after Clarke relinquished her title in a stunning 6-2, 7-5 defeat at the hands of newly crowned champion Elana Mackey on Thursday at the National Tennis Centre.
“This one was a bit tougher because I was trying to balance school and everything,” said Clarke, who came home from her junior year at the University of Alabama at Birmingham to continue to make her presence felt on and off the court during the holidays.
“I was able to come out and get some people to donate as we spread the word around. But while it was tough, it was still good because a lot of people came out and supported me. I had a lot of people who reached out.”
While she made a presentation of groceries for the pantry and toys already wrapped to distribute to the 20-plus children ranging in ages from nine months to 16 years, Clarke said she’s appealing to those persons who would like to make their contribution to reach out to the Children’s Emergency Hostel and inquiry what is needed the most.
Bethany Moncur, who represented the Children’s Emergency Hostel, said it’s a great initiative because they need groceries and at Christmas, the children look forward to unwrapping the presents from under the tree.
“We had a cry out for groceries and people like Sydney have stepped up and came to our rescue,” Moncur said. “We still are in need of stuff like baby wipes, baby wash and Detrol, so if people want to donate, they can do so.”
For Clarke, it’s all about completing her community service.
“Helping others is something I always like to do generally,” she insisted.
“A lot of people have helped to get me to where I am today and I just feel that although something like this seemed insignificant, I think it goes a long way in making an impact in the lives of so many people.
“Whether it’s something that is small, or it is big, it’s something I will continue to do because I enjoy doing it. It just continues to grow and get bigger in the future with many more people coming forth and lending a helping hand to assist those who are in need.”
Clarke said while she’s done playing in the tournament and giving back to the community, she will enjoy another side of her life when she participates with the Fox Hill Congo’s in both the Boxing Day and New Year’s Day junkanoo parades on Bay Street.
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