SOUTH WINDSOR, CT — For three years now, three north central Connecticut high school students have been on a campaign to give gently used sports equipment a second life in the region — and help those who otherwise might not be able to afford it.
The sports equipment drive efforts are a collaboration of three South Windsor friends — Quinn Cavanaugh, who attends East Catholic High School, Aidan Walsh of South Windsor High School and Sean Habeeb, who is a student at the Kingswood Oxford School. This year, the trio’s used sports equipment drives, done through their Equipment Assist SW organization, are scheduled for April 2 and April 30 in South Windsor, Vernon, Tolland, Manchester, Glastonbury and nearby towns as far north as Enfield and Suffield.
Area residents just have to email the team at [email protected] to be put on the pickup list and leave the stuff on a front step. The young men will collect the equipment, clean it up and donate it to the Hartford Police Activity League and Active City, two organizations that provide sports programs to “underserved youth” in Hartford County. Pickups are generally made during the afternoon hours.
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“We started this organization freshman year in high school (they are juniors now),” Cavanaugh said. “We’re all friends from grade school. All people have to do is leave the equipment on their stoops and we’ll come get it. It’s our way of giving the equipment a second life and put forth our best effort to help those who need it.”
Habeeb said it could be the difference between a youth playing or not playing.
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“It is so awesome that we are able to help provide opportunities for kids to try new sports that they may have never been able to before,” he said.
Equipment Assist SW is looking for gear for soccer, ice hockey and baseball foremost but also has needs for lacrosse, basketball, tennis and football items.
Cavanaugh said each year, anywhere from 200 to 300 pieces of equipment are donated, including cleats, baseball and softball bats, gloves of all kinds, soccer and lacrosse equipment and all sorts of helmets.
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“It’s just about every sport,” he said, while adding one year a person even donated a basketball rim and backboard.
“We encourage residents to clean their garages out and let us do what we can to get it to those who need it,” Cavanaugh said. “We do not want to make people buy things they can get through donations.”
The teens said said residents can also write donation checks directly to the two programs.
“We are just really thankful that the community has been so generous with donations,” Walsh said. “It just shows how people really want to help out and make others happy.”
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