11/02/2025
Dear East Rutherford Soccer Family,
Jamaica is my homeland and holds a special place in my heart. It’s where my love for soccer began and where I still have many family members and friends. In 1979, my family lost an uncle and four cousins during the Westmoreland floods. This week, nearly forty-six years later, our community back home has been devastated again, this time by Hurricane Melissa, one of the strongest storms ever to strike the island.
While I’m grateful that my immediate family is safe, the damage is catastrophic. Homes, schools, and entire neighborhoods have been destroyed. Families are trying to start over with almost nothing left.
Our East Rutherford soccer community has always stood for teamwork and compassion, on and off the field. I’m asking for your help to support those rebuilding in Jamaica. Any donation, large or small, will go directly toward relief efforts for families and schools(Alma Mater Munro College, Slipe Primary) in Jamaica. Funds will go toward buying roofing materials, clothes and school supplies for children, and emergency food and water for families.
If you’re able to contribute, please use one of the following options:
Venmo: -Drummond
Cash donations: there will be a bucket at the Kitchen tomorrow 11/1 between 9 am and 3pm
Even if you can’t give financially, your words of encouragement matter. I’ll be collecting short notes from our players to share with children affected by the storm, reminding them that the spirit of soccer connects us all.
Thank you for showing once again what it means to be a true community, one that leads with empathy and heart.
With gratitude,
Orville Drummond
President, East Rutherford Youth Soccer League