Montezuma + BGM = Haitian earthquake relief
Jan. 26, 2010

When you "pack the place" as BGM plays basketball at Montezuma on Tuesday, Feb. 2, plan on packing in some pancakes before you attend the games.

Then, get ready to put down some money on your favorite team!

But let us quickly add that it's not a wager - it's a donation.  And it will all go to a great cause - Haitian earthquake relief.

This event has been organized by Montezuma boys and girls basketball coaches Derek Schulte and Keith Sietstra, and they're planning to have BGM's players participate by helping to serve and clean up after the pancake meal along with the Braves and Bravettes.

Players also will help hand out and collect pledge cards and gifts after the games.

The Hotcakes for Haiti Supper will start at 5 p.m. in the junior high gym and it's all you can eat for a suggested donation of $5. There will also be a free will donation box at the site.

The Montezuma Lions Club helped out in this effort on Monday evening, Jan. 25, by voting to donate all the pancake mix and syrup.

Then, it's on to the high school gym and the games, for which team scoring pledges are being collected.

You make a per point pledge for your desired team, be it the BGM or Montezuma boys or girls. Say you pledged 50 cents per point, and your team scores 42. Then, you would donate $21. Pledges will be collected at the conclusion of the boys game.

Forms for the team scoring pledges will be available at the doors and also in the junior high gym at the supper.  

For a pledge form, click HERE.

"We want to send out the message that even though we may be in competition with each other on the court, off the court we can stand united in giving of ourselves to offer hope to the people of Haiti and be able to 'get' the bigger picture of school and life," wrote Sietstra and Schulte in a letter explaining the mission.

Oh, we mentioned packing the place. Formally, it's "Pack the Place" night for Montezuma, whose fans are asked to wear white so we can have yet another "whiteout" on the Iowa prairie. Elementary students who wear their "Monte Pride" t-shirts will get $1 off their admission price for the games.

Proceeds from this event will go to Promise for Haiti, Inc., which is a non-profit, 501 C (3) organization which promotes and implements sustainable development programs in health care, education, economic growth and clean water.

The Nashville-based organization has a history in Haiti dating back to 1981.

Promise for Haiti, Inc., serves a population (140,000 in normal times) in the central plateau region of Haiti, 80 miles north of Port-au-Prince. It operates a 65-bed hospital and six clinics, all of which remain operational, but are being taxed as refugees stream north from the capital.

The organization provides medical care, medicines and food and shelter.

Pella residents Denny and Bev Brand - who are also former Montezuma teachers - have done missions work in this part of Haiti and have encouraged support for this organization. 

To learn more about the organization, go to www.promiseforhaiti.org

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