Congratulations Digicel – NBA Jumpstart #TeamHaiti

Good morning everyone,

A special greeting to Special Olympics Haiti! Hats off to you!

First of all, I’d like to congratulate Digicel for their Jumpstart initiative to inspire youth through this sports partnership program with the National Basketball Association.

A huge thanks to Troy Justice, Basketball International Operations Director, and Ron Nored, Head Coach for the Long Island Nets, from the NBA for making the time to travel to Haiti. This is the NBA’s first visit to Haiti, and we look forward to welcoming you back next year!

I applaud your efforts to share with Haiti’s youth the importance of physical exercise and their presence speaks volumes to the message “No dream is too big.”  Congratulations to all of you today who have participated.  Good job!

The U.S. Embassy works with a number of youth organizations who teach important life skills through sports in an effort we call “sports diplomacy”.

Through sports, we learn about healthy behaviors, teamwork, determination, resiliency, leadership, and many other essential life skills.

Good luck in Trinidad and Tobago #TeamHaiti, and congratulations to you all.