By Rob Potter
FREMONT CENTER — September 23, 2005 – When most parents and their children go to a youth sports league practice, they might take along a bottle of water, a sports drink and a healthy snack such as an apple or banana.
But members of the Fremont Senior and Junior Red Dog youth football teams and their families have been bringing more than drinks and snacks to recent practices. They have brought non-perishable food, toys and baby items.
The football players and parents have brought those items to the Fremont Center Ball Field to help Chelsea Abplanalp in her efforts to help Hurricane Katrina survivors. For the past few weeks, the 11-year-old has been collecting food and clothing for the hurricane victims.
“I was just watching TV one night and I felt so bad for those people,” said Abplanalp, who lives in Youngsville and is a sixth-grade student at Sullivan West. “I wanted to help them.”
Chelsea’s brother Kenny is a member of the Senior Red Dogs team and she made a poster detailing her collection efforts and brought it to a recent Red Dogs’ practice.
Since beginning her project on September 7, Chelsea has collected several boxes and bags filled with food, clothing.
Chelsea’s parents, Troy and Donna Abplanalp, have been happy to help her with collecting the items for the hurricane victims. Donna is also trying to find a local trucking company that would be willing to deliver the donated food, clothing and toys to the Katrina victims.
“We’re very proud of her,” Donna Abplanalp said. “She’s doing something very nice that helps people. She is doing something very unselfish.”
Originally, Chelsea was going to end the food and clothing drive at tonight’s Red Dogs’ practice. But to accommodate people who would like to donate items but can’t make it to Fremont Center this evening, the Abplanalps decided to extend their efforts through this weekend. Chelsea and Donna said they want to end the drive on Sunday so that the collected items can be sent to the hurricane victims in the next several days.
For more information about Chelsea Abplanalp’s collection drive or to make a donation, please call 482-3132.