Blake Miller, a junior at Palmer Trinity School, has been the chairman of the Patriot Outreach program for past three years. Miller annually coordinates the Patriot Outreach drive in south Miami- Dade County to collect used — but useable — athletic equipment and clothing, which is sorted and boxed, then shipped to the Dominican Republic for distribution to impoverished children in the Higuey and Punta Cana areas of the country.
The recycled equipment and clothing gives the Dominican Republic youngsters an opportunity to participate in athletics, much the same as boys and girls do here in South Florida. Patriot Outreach members have conducted the charity drive for eight consecutive years and the organization through the years has collected more than 60,000 pieces of sports equipment, uniforms, shoes and related gear.
This year, the Patriot Outreach board is comprised of students from many area high schools. In addition to Miller, the board members are Keaton Zargham and Ryan Booth from Palmetto High School; Alex Hartnett, Coral Reef High School, and T.J. North from Westminster Christian School.
Miller says he is particularly proud of the board members for the time and effort they devoted to Patriot Outreach this year.
“We have played baseball together and against each other for the past 12 years,” Miller said. “This group of old friends pooled resources and organized a the community- wide effort to collect more than 5,000 sports items this year.”
Miller said the next Patriot Outreach drive will begin in February, 2015. For more information, contact him at blakemiller1024@gmail.com.
