Adams athletes raise funds to fight virus
During a time of darkness and fear, local athletes are doing their part to spread positivity.
Five senior track athletes from Rochester Adams are raising money for hospital employees who are experiencing residual effects of fighting the COVID-19 virus.
Raayed Saeed, Jake Kinley, Andrew Martin, Hisham Aziz and Rajiv Parimi have come together to form Sunshine Supply & Care, and have currently raised over $2,500 for their cause.
“We feel like we are making an impact and doing our part to help one another,” Saeed, the Founder and President of Sunshine Supply & Care, said. “Obviously there are a lot of people doing greater things and working tirelessly against this problem, but every little bit helps and can make a difference right now. Being able to raise money for this cause and inspire positivity in others, it was a no-brainer to pursue this.”
All five seniors were set to compete together in their final season of track this spring, but the coronavirus pandemic led the MHSAA to cancel the season.
“We were disappointed to hear about the cancellation of our final track season and compete for a league title and to go to the state finals, along with all the things that come with being a senior like prom and graduation, but we figured instead of moping about it that we wanted to make an effort to help against the problem,” Saeed said.
Sunshine Supply & Care has teamed up with Ascension Providence Rochester and McLaren Oakland Hospitals in order to raise the money. They are also working with Rochester Adams High School administrators, Rochester Community Schools district administrators, and Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan K. Barnett to further promote the cause.
Saeed knows times are tough for a lot of Michigan residents and is encouraging those that can’t donate to find other ways to help
spread a positive message.
“If you can donate $1, that still makes a difference,” Saeed said. “Anything helps right now. Even if you can’t donate, just showing positivity to people around you or finding ways to thank medical personnel that are doing all they can in a dangerous environment goes a long way.”
Sunshine Supply & Care actually started in 2019 as Sunshine Schools Supplies.
The group formed as a way to raise money to provide school supplies for foster children.
“A lot of people assume that we started it as a school project, but the truth is we saw what opportunities we were given growing up, and how others just simply didn’t have the same ones,” Saeed said. “We thought it was unfair that we were given things others weren’t and we wanted to level the playing field for others.”
When the coronavirus outbreak took over the state, Saeed and his friends decided they
needed to turn their attention to helping end the pandemic.
“Our goal is based around the idea of opportunity for others, so we felt like we should try to do our part to help the population as a whole with what is going on,” Saeed said. “We felt like we had a responsibility to do our part here in Michigan as residents of a community. We are all in this fight together.” its own set of questions, including whether students will be allowed back on campuses and when. The sport is critical to nearly all athletic department budgets and officials are bracing for significant dips in revenue even if games are played.
“If public health officials say it’s safe to return large events, I don’t think it’s realistic that everybody is going to feel good about coming to games,” Baylor athletic director Mack Rhoades said. “And then, because of the economy, people are going to be impacted and not everybody is going to be able to afford a ticket.”
Among other findings in the poll, most fans thought U.S. pro sports leagues acted at the right time to suspend their seasons. The vast majority also agreed that the International Olympic Committee didn’t move too quickly in postponing the Tokyo Games until the summer of 2021.
About 70% of respondents said the NFL shouldn’t start in the fall, even with social distancing. And 76% said they would have the same interest in watching live sports on TV even if fans are not in the stands.