Carlos Dunlap poses for a picture at hospital in Haiti.
Providing Support: Dunlap Among Contingent That’s Rebuilding Haiti
Monday, May 1, 2017 | Football
Former Gator and current Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Carlos Dunlap recently completed his second trip to Haiti in connection with The Jack Brewer Foundation.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – How much of a difference can one person make?
Carlos Dunlap isn't thinking about the final answer to that question, but when it comes to the nation of Haiti, still trying to recover from a devastating earthquake that happened seven years ago, he took a small step. He decided to get involved.
He visited in 2016. And what he saw left an impression so deep that the former Gator and current Cincinnati Bengals player was motivated to go back again this year.
For five days, Dunlap saw people that still need help -- a lot of help. He saw basic needs still unmet after the world community seemed to forget about the disaster.
"The beach in Cite Soleil (picture above) has so much trash. It could be a nice beach because of the view, but they just have so much trash," Dunlap said.
"I think one of the biggest things that would help them is some kind of recycling or disposal program. Right now, they're just burning the plastics and Styrofoam, which is bad too because they are just polluting the air and breathing that in."
"They could also benefit from a water filtration system to make the water safer to drink as the water is very polluted.
"Last year it was black and this year it was green. It was like something that I cannot even explain. You see the kids right there playing in it. It twists your stomach."
Dunlap visited two orphanages (one pictured on the right), two hospitals and saw the plans for a new hospital. One of the existing hospitals in working on a renovation plan. The cost? $20 million."If you saw it the renovations to the hospital, it doesn't look like much," Dunlap said. "However, the progress is encouraging. They need those facilities."
Dunlap made the trip this year with his brother Mike Dunlap and his best friend Johnny Sjodergren for a five-day visit as part of an organized tour by The Jack Brewer Foundation. Brewer played in the NFL for five years and created a program called the Global Ambassadors. There were 100 of them on the trip, trying to bring attention to the need for medical aid, disaster relief, food, education and cultural exchange.
The estimated number of people killed in the earthquake was more than 300,000.
After it happened, there were athletes from all the American pro sports who wanted to help.
A campaign called "One Team 4 Haiti" was created. Brewer's group, operating with the name JBF Worldwide, was one participant, beginning in 2010.
The aim of the Global Ambassadors is to help tell Haiti's story, reach out to philanthropic groups and travel with the goal of making an impact. The group numbers more than 150 people from athletics, music, fashion and business.
Dunlap and Brewer first met at the University of Miami's Executive MBA Program for Artists and Athletes and were members of the first graduating class in June, 2016.
Prior to that, Dunlap began his own foundation in 2014, working in America on programs to help children and young people.
He goes to schools. There are birthday parties organized for children who are homeless. Some functions try to combine fun with lifting people's spirits -- such as pedicures with breast cancer survivors.
"This has definitely been a very humbling experience," Dunlap said. "Supporting my boy's foundation (Jack Brewer) and seeing the progress from last year (2016) to this year (2017) was definitely encouraging. However, they need so much more help."
What has changed in one year?
For one thing, the authorities were more visible this time. Government officials. Police, too.
A year ago, Dunlap said their group was escorted into Cite Soleil by "local leaders." He heard a story about a prison where a wall had collapsed and everyone inside ran away.
On his second trip to the city of more than 200,000, where poverty can be seen everywhere, Dunlap learned about another Florida Gator who is in the middle of the battle to help Haiti.
Dr. Vincent DeGennaro, a UF graduate, has been living in Haiti for six months at a time. DeGennaro is part of a team that has worked in nearly a dozen countries in Central and South America and Africa.
However, they have been working in Haiti since 2004 with the goal of shaping healthcare delivery, prevention, and education. His team, Innovating Health International, includes doctors, nurses, social workers, community health workers, lawyers, and business leaders.
"Dr. DeGennaro supports one of the hospitals that allows women to come in and get free checks for breast cancer and any other normal checkups that are necessary for women," Dunlap said. "I got to visit that hospital and tour the facilities there and they have a new hospital that they are building next to it.
"With him being a Gator, that was pretty unique."
Dunlap and others also visited the Sport Centre, a facility that the International Olympic Committee built in 2014 to help Haiti's sports infrastructure become part of the nation's reconstruction process.
When Dunlap visited the Centre, he and his team put a group of kids through a series of warmups and calisthenics, which none of them had ever done before.
"A cheetah doesn't stretch before it runs," Dunlap joked. "A lot of these kids (pictured below) are pretty quick and they just jump into it. Moreover, they are young. We wanted to let them that you can do a little bit more and it will help them not sustain any injuries."
In future trips, Dunlap will join Jack Brewer in the movement to bring baseball to Haiti.
The Dominican Republic is just 140 miles from Haiti and has produced the likes of David Ortiz, Pedro Martinez, Albert Pujols and Manny Ramirez.
As might be expected, soccer is the main sport in Haiti and many boys and youths would not think about baseball. But Dunlap said Brewer sees a lot of potential in baseball growing there and Dunlap has thought that could be his mission for his next trip.
"The sport of baseball could be a way out for some of these kids," Dunlap explained. "Jack is constantly trying to get newer supplies for them. Obviously, we're sending used stuff and not much new. Most of it is donated or what he buys, which is still brand new to them.
"All that stuff is another thing that we take for granted here."
Another stop for Dunlap was Royal DeCameron Indigo Beach Resort and Spa in Montrouis, Haiti, about an hour away from Cite Soleil where drivers don't seem to have time to worry about traffic rules.
The view, the sand, the water and the hotel shows that tourism could be helpful to Haiti's economy.
"The resort in Montrouis was very nice," Dunlap said. "The staff was very hospitable, the food was great and the beach was very clean."
Dunlap wants to spread the word that Haiti still needs help. He wants to get others involved.
"This trip is great because being able to see what he's doing and seeing where your money is going if you donate to his foundation," Dunlap said. "Obviously, money is great, but if you want to know where your money is going and you want to be involved, you actually want to go see it. This is the guy and this is the trip to be a part of."
About The Jack Brewer Foundation
Jack Brewer, five-year National Football League (NFL) veteran and founder/CEO of The Brewer Group, Inc., established The Jack Brewer Foundation ("JBF Worldwide") to empower women and children living in impoverished and underdeveloped communities by enabling food security, promoting access to education and cultural exchanges, assisting in medical aid and disaster relief, and building peace. JBF Worldwide employs sport as a catalyst to provide resources and opportunities to the world's most underserved populations and actively works to "Empower from Within." For more information about The Jack Brewer Foundation, please visit www.jbfworldwide.org or follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. Thanks to generous donations from supporters, The Jack Brewer Foundation has continued to implement various programs and initiatives both in the U.S. and worldwide, including medical aid and disaster relief, education and cultural exchange and food security. Donations to JBF Worldwide help to continue its efforts to provide support to communities in need at home and around the world as the organization strives to achieve its mission to "Empower from Within."
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