Home|Sports|Sydney Clarke giving back to the communitySports
Simba FrenchSend an emailDecember 22, 2022 138 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email
For the last three years, Bahamian senior women’s national team member Sydney Clarke has been collecting donations and galvanizing support for the Children’s Emergency Hostel on McKinney Drive off Carmichael Road. This year is no different as she is staging an event on Friday December 23.
The donation drive is set for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday but items could be dropped off before or after the time period.
“I am accepting toys, non-perishable foods on behalf of the Children’s Emergency Hostel because every year they are in need of restocking their pantry, and so I’ve just decided to take the initiative to keep improving the event and just help them out every time I come home during the Christmas break,” Clarke said.
Currently, Clarke is in her junior year at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) where she plays tennis on a full scholarship. She said she feels good to be doing her part in helping out in the community.
“I do a lot of community service at school. It’s something I enjoy doing and I feel as though when I give back, it just transfers over. I just love helping people and it’s also because so much people help me. I feel as though it’s just my duty as a citizen – to do what I can and make an impact in some way,” Clarke said.
Clarke and her team are accepting toys, non-perishable goods like tuna, spaghetti and meatballs, Vienna sausage and cereals. Disposable items like cups, plates and forks are also welcomed. If there are any bigger donations like kitchen appliances or bedroom items, persons can contact the hostel.
“This will be my third year hosting the drive,” Clarke said. “I just hope to keep expanding it and getting better at organizing the event each year. So far, I’ve gotten a lot of donations and I’m very appreciative of those who have donated. I’m just looking forward to it getting better.”
The 21-year-old is home for the Christmas holidays to be with family and friends. In the meantime, she is competing at the Giorgio Baldacci Open National Championships, looking to successfully defend her women’s national title. She will take on Elana Mackey in the women’s championship today. Clarke and the UAB Blazers will return to action on January 15, 2023, when they face the Mississippi State University Bulldogs in Starkville, Mississippi.