Island team gets ready to help out in the Dominican Republic this summer….

Getting ready for this year's trip! Some of the team, from left: Lizzy Starr, Monique Woodward, Ellie Woodward, Collin Williamson, Vinnie Carter, Mandy Turnbull, C.J. Woods and Vic Woodward.

For the past few years, Monique & Vic Woodward have taken groups to the Dominican Republic each summer, and they’re greaing up for this year.  (One of the groups’ activities was the food bagging project last fall, remember that?)

Here’s more from Update reporter Collin Williamson:

The Dominican Republic.

Known for its baseball talent, and being next door neighbors to Haiti, and for being one of the many countries struck yearly by harsh tropical storms.

What some news channels forget to add at times is that Dominicans struggle through the same circumstances as Haiti. The same daily hardships, the same grind. COTN (Children of the Nations) is a Christian based organization that is set up throughout developing countries all over the world, including the Dominican Republic.  COTN is established in the Dominican and is the organization a group of Friday Harbor student athletes are going through to host a basketball camp for teens up to 20 years old.

Group leader Monique Woodward has more: “This is a great opportunity for the teenagers not only in the Dominican Republic, but for Friday Harbor teens as well. We have gone down and done a basketball camp before (basketball being the second most popular sport behind baseball) and the teens keep trying to get us down there again for another camp.”

If you’re looking to donate, there are some options. Cash money is always acceptable, since all participants have about $2K worth of travels fees. But if that’s not an option, we will always take shoes. The kids down in the Dominican Republic often wear the same pair of shoes for years, and are often undersized.

If you would like more information on how to donate feel free to call Monique Woodward at 378-8435.

(Team members so far: Monique and Vic Woodward, Ellie Woodward, Otis Cooper-West, Collin Williamson, CJ Woods, Mandy Turnbull, Lizzy Star, Vinnie Carter, Austin Scheffer, Isaiah Hauck, Coach Woods.)

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