Joe Vitale and Matt Cooke just recently visited Haiti. The country was devastated by an earthquake in January 2010. The trip was for a humanitarian trip organized by Brad Henderson.They thought they had at least some idea of what to expect when they
traveled to Haiti from recent
research before their trip.
“You talk about what to expect and you see things on TV and read
about things, but the whole group was so taken aback by our first ride
when we went from the airport to the orphanage,” Vitale said. “We were
riding on the back of a pickup truck and just looking out. It was pretty
quiet; everyone was pretty quiet. It was just so overwhelming, from the
trash and everything that we saw.”
Garbage was strewn around the dirt roads and in the nearby bodies of
water, from which a rotten odor emanated while people ran chaotically
through the streets. Many homes and businesses do not have electricity
or even running water, and the heat and humidity was almost too much to
bear.
“I think it was just too much to comprehend,” Vitale continued. “I think our silence pretty much said it all.”
The people who made the trip
included Cooke’s wife Michelle and oldest daughter Gabby, former Penguin
Jordan Staal and his wife Heather and Ian Rosenberger, the CEO of
Pittsburgh-based company Thread LLC. Vitale’s wife Brianna did not go
since she is expecting their second child. That sobering first ride took them straight to the EBAC orphanage,
which has been run by Fayette County natives Kathy Gouker and Alice Wise
for the past 35 years. And the moment Vitale, Cooke and the others met
the kids, their spirits were instantly uplifted.“That was honestly the highlight of the trip,” said Vitale of
spending time with the orphans. “So much of being down there was just
very sad and gave you kind of a depressed feeling. But spending time
with the kids and seeing their smiling faces and the way they laugh –
the kids are just so enthusiastic about life.”The Penguins and Reebok donated t-shirts for the kids along with
hockey sticks and soccer balls, and the athletes worked up a sweat
playing sports with their new friends.
“We used pretty much all of our time and energy with the kids playing
hockey,” Vitale laughed. “Cooke was like the MVP of the trip. He was
just running around the kids, just sweating constantly.”“They’re unbelievable kids down there and they’re so appreciative of
what little they have. They touched all of our hearts in a special way.”Not only was spending time with the children inspiring, but so were
their trips to the newer IDADEE orphanage and the area’s first recycling
center, which opened last week.
The construction of the second, smaller orphanage had actually been
completed with substantial funds raised by Talbot through his
foundation, who was so touched by his own journey that he vowed to help
in any way he could upon his return.“It’s cool to know what Max and Mike did a couple of years ago and
then to kind of see the benefits of everybody’s hard labor and other
work and their dedication to this,” Vitale said.
And the Pittsburgh Kids Foundation (of which Henderson is the
president of) partnered with Thread LLC and Executives Without Borders
to create the recycling center in Cap Haitien, the country’s
second-largest city (roughly the size of Pittsburgh)The center is creating jobs and cleaning up the environment by
providing allowing Haitians who don't have a source of income the
opportunity to collect discarded bottles to take care of their families.
The project is called "Ramase Lajan," which means "picking up money" in
Haitian Creole.
That’s especially inspiring to Vitale because it made him realize
that he really, truly can make a difference in people’s lives down
there.“To kind of actually come together is really encouraging because it
starts with an idea,” he said. “And then for those guys that put forth
such a great effort and to actually see the results is encouraging to me
because I know Matt, Jordan and I want to do things – do great things –
down there. When we see the benefits of other people’s labor, you know
it’s a possibility that what we do can benefit others down there as
well. So it’s a very encouraging thing.”
