SOS For Help Inspires Local Players To PONY Up

By Susan Coney

When members of the PONY (Protect Our Nation’s Youth) Baseball and Softball League received an urgent plea for assistance via an e-mail from fellow PONY league members in Louisiana they responded with quick action.

Newtown resident Dave Broughton, an assistant coach for his daughter Stacy’s softball team, and his wife Cindi, felt the need to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Mr and Mrs Broughton enlisted the assistance of Stacy’s PONY team, The Force, to respond to the relief effort by holding a four-day collection of items to help the hurricane victims.

Fifteen-year-old Stacy and her fellow team members placed large signs and balloons asking for donations outside of the Broughton’s home on Currituck Road. The outpouring of assistance from team members, friends, and neighbors brought in an enormous amount of goods. The group concentrated their efforts on collecting such items as clothing, shoes, baby items, diapers, blankets, bedding, toiletries, and cash donations to assist with the cost of gas to deliver the items.

On Monday Mrs Broughton said, “By Sunday we were overwhelmed with the generosity of people. The team spent hours sorting through the bags and organizing the clothes, shoes, and personal items.” Mrs Broughton went on to say that due to the large amount of donations received they would be renting a trailer and that she and her husband would be personally delivering the needed items to a designated drop off point in Lake Charles, La.

Mrs Broughton said, “These people have lost everything. The Louisiana PONY teams are like our softball family. Our team decided to have a clothing drive to help make a difference.” In addition to the items being delivered, the Broughtons will deliver a handmade card signed by The Force team members, families, friends, and neighbors offering encouragement to the families who lost their homes.