It’s houses over hoop
Maria alters Horford Dominican mission
Al Horford, with the aid of a national bank in his native Dominican Republic, launched an ambitious initiative last summer.
The Celtics center’s goal was to spread the seeds of basketball and give youngsters in cities like his hometown of Puerto Plata a better chance to not only play the game, but to have a chance at playing it in the United States.
As such, the initiative covered everything from constructing and repairing basketball courts, to paying for scholarships that would cover the cost of high school for four Dominican students in the U.S.
But when Hurricane Maria swept through the Caribbean in September, devastating large parts of the Dominican Republic as well as Puerto Rico, the initiative changed, with 10 houses currently undder reconstruction.
“Right now they’re in the process of building houses,” Horford said of how his focus with Banco Popular has changed since the hurricane.
“It stopped (the initiative) completely,” he said. “We were refurbishing some basketball courts over there. Once hurricane season is over, then we’ll finish the courts. Then they’ll resume with their activities.”
Hurricane Maria had an even more pulverizing effect in Puerto Rico and the tiny island nation of Domenica — the latter suffering almost complete devastation.
But in Dominican coastal communities including Puerto Plata, the flooding and destruction of property was equally harsh.
According to the country’s Emergency Operations Center, the hurricane destroyed 110 homes, damaged 570 and flooded 3,723.
Part of the issue, according to the organization Oxfam, is that many of the homes in coastal communities were constructed with low-quality building materials, leaving those areas particularly vulnerable to hurricanes.
And Maria was no ordinary hurricane.
“There was actually a lot of damage. It gets overshadowed a little bit with some of the bigger things that happened in Puerto Rico and Houston, Florida,” Horford said. “But there were a lot of people who lost their homes, a lot of flooding. There’s a big need for help right now.
“We’re doing our part. We’ve already been helping to do some rebuilding of houses. We need people to help in any way they can down there. Food, clothing, even help to rebuild houses. There’s definitely a lot of damage. Especially in the region I’m from.”
And like the most accomplished athletes from the islands, an extra degree of responsibility, celebrity and national pride comes with the job.
Boston sports fans have most recently seen that dynamic at play with the new Red Sox manager, Alex Cora.
“You take a lot of pride,” Horford said when asked about Cora’s status in Puerto Rico. “It’s really important for me to make a lot of difference over there. There’s a lot of need. There’s a lot of need without the hurricane. We always make sure we find ways to come together and make an impact.”
One idea has been to give young Dominican basketball players a chance at what Horford experienced as an adolescent. His father was Tito Horford, the first Dominican to play in the NBA. As a result, Horford moved from Puerto Plata to Lansing, Mich., and it was there, at Grand Ledge High School, that he developed into a major Division 1 prospect.
“That was huge for me. I was very fortunate because my dad was here,” Horford said. “My transition was easier, living with my mom in the Dominican and coming to live with my dad. Huge for me. That’s when my whole career changed.”
Horford’s goal now is to change many more lives.