NOTABLE | South End sends gifts, workers to Haiti

A host of people from South Whidbey spent the past week in Haiti on a mission trip.

April 14, 2015 5:26 pm
Emma Lungren and Joel Gerlach were two of the South End residents to donate goods and aid to Haiti.
Emma Lungren and Joel Gerlach were two of the South End residents to donate goods and aid to Haiti.

A host of people from South Whidbey spent the past week in Haiti on a mission trip.

In all, 14 people from Trinity Lutheran Church in Freeland made the journey to help rebuild homes damaged in the earthquake 2010. The group took with them some tokens from South Whidbey — a few dozen soccer balls and soccer outfits from the high school’s head coaches, Joel Gerlach and Emerson “Skip” Robbins.

Gerlach pulled out blue and white jerseys and shorts used by a Falcon team seven years ago, had them cleaned and ready for a new life in the Caribbean country.

“It’s something we’ve talked about for years,” Gerlach said, after a recent boys soccer game at Waterman’s Field while unloading the bins from his truck.

The Falcon coaches were also sure to donate a pump for the balls, which had to be deflated for the journey. Kevin Lungren, a church member whose son played for the Falcons years ago, wrote in a text message that the soccer balls were handed out to 112 children up to 10 years old one day during the mission trip.