Helping Sheldon ISD Recover

The recovery from Hurricane Harvey continues even weeks after the storm devastated Houston and its surrounding areas. There were so many families, businesses and operations dramatically impacted by the storm and the recovery process will continue for many months and years.

Athlete Training and Health wants to do our small part to help families recover and rebuild their lives. Moments after we all witnessed the utter destruction of Hurricane Harvey, Athlete Training and Health focused its recovery and relief efforts on collecting sports equipment and sporting goods items to be donated to teams and individual athletes in the Houston area.

Through a former employee, Amanda Rivas, we knew that the damage of her own alma mater was severe. Amanda shared stories of strength but she also shared the needs of the Sheldon students. While our efforts continue to be city-wide, after talking with Amanda we made a commitment to the athletes and families of Sheldon ISD and C.E. King High School to help put their sports teams back in a position to compete.

Like Amanda, the school’s principal, Demetrius McCall, says they are ready to pick up the pieces and get C.E. King back to where it was. Foti Kallergis of ABC 13 interviewed McCall regarding the status of C.E. King High School immediately following Harvey.

Sheldon ISD is a fairly small 6A district with only one high school. The high school sustained the most significant damage during the storms and is estimated to have lost around 80% of its facilities for students. The entire first floor was waist deep in water and the gymnasium floor completely buckled due to flooding damage. Additionally, sports equipment, PE equipment and items used for sport play was lost.

Under Armour, Deoin Sanders and Good Morning America’s Michael Strahan graciously provided football uniforms for the C.E. King Football team but items are still desperately needed to help rebuild their sports programs. Athlete Training and Health along with our partners at the Arlington Parks and Recreation committed to conducting an equipment drive to collect apparel, sporting goods, cleats, shoes and sport equipment for the Sheldon ISD athletes. We are also accepting gift cards to DICK’S Sporting Goods where ATH has a close working partnership.

Items can be dropped off at any Athlete Training and Health training center as well as the Cliff Nelson Recreation Center or Elzie Odom Athletic Center – both in Arlington, TX.

As the flood waters of Harvey filled the community around C.E. King High school, the community of Sheldon rallied around one another to provide help and aide and continue to do so today, weeks after the storm passed. From volunteers to donation drives, those in Sheldon were there for one another. Now, it’s our time to be there for those in Sheldon. All items donated, whether that’s equipment or monetary, will be given directly to the athletes at C.E. King High School.

Through her time at ATH, Amanda Rivas, always had a giving heart so it comes as no surprise that she is dedicated to helping those around her. Her family is firmly rooted in the area and her father, Frank Rivas, is the current President of the Sheldon School board. We will rally around Amanda and her efforts to help build the Sheldon ISD sports community, and we ask that you join us in our efforts.

Donations will be accepted at any ATH Training Center and through two Arlington Parks and Recreation facilities. Donations will be accepted through October 31st. We are also accepting monetary donations which will also go to the school districts.

Donations can be accepted through the educationfoundation@sheldonisd.com PayPal. Also, a majority of the homes in the Sheldon community were lost so any donations of furniture, clothes, food, etc. can also help those begin the rebuild. These items can be dropped off locally at the district administration office which is located at 11411 C.E. King parkway, Houston, TX 77044.

FOR INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO DONATE THROUGH THE ARLINGTON PARKS AND REC, PLEASE CLICK HERE.