Both Pierre Garcon and Jonathan Vilma squared off in Super Bowl XLIV with football on their minds and Haiti in their hearts. After the earthquake devastated Haiti, killing tens of thousands of people, these two professional athletes took on the responsibility to help with the relief efforts.
Pierre Garcon carried the flag of Haiti around the field after the Indianapolis Colts defeated the New York Jets in the AFC Championship game. Although, the Colts lost to the Saints two weeks later in the Super Bowl, he was happy Vilma could serve Haiti as a Super Bowl champion.
Jonathan Vilma, starting linebacker for the Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints, decided to design a T-shirt to benefit Haiti. The T-shirt design is impeccable in correlation with the circumstances. The top of the shirt reads, “Department of Domeland Defense,” with the bottom stating, “Here We Come to Get You.”
The Superdome is home to the New Orleans Saints; however, it served as home to the people who lost everything because of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the use of the phrase, “Here we come to get you,” serves as truth both on the field and in Haiti.
Both Vilma and Garcon head a major movement towards relief for Haiti. The entire sports nation is coming together to raise money. ESPN, the largest sports network on television, constantly runs ads for Red Cross saying “Donate ten dollars by texting Haiti to 90999.”
Athletes are major inspirational figures in society, and Jonathan Vilma and Pierre Garcon show us that it’s not always about winning or losing, but uniting together in support for a bigger cause.
Photos courtesy of Todd Robinson, Bonza Graphics and Michael Conroy, Associate Press