JVA Launches Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund

JVA Launches Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund

The Junior Volleyball Association has created a fund to aid in Hurricane Harvey relief.

Sep 6, 2017 by Megan Kaplon
JVA Launches Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund
In the wake of Hurricane Harvey, every aspect of normal life in the Houston area has been turned on its head. The city is a volleyball hotbed, home to many of the top clubs and players in the country. Since the storm, they've been having to answer the question of where they were going to play and with what equipment, in addition to addressing the even more basic concerns of housing and transportation.

The Junior Volleyball Association hopes to help. The organization, which has close to 100 member clubs in the area impacted by Harvey, has set up a fund they're calling "JVA Rally Against Harvey," and 50 percent of the funds raised will go to immediate aid organizations such as the Salvation Army, Red Cross, and local food pantries. The other 50 percent will flow right back into the volleyball community to help local clubs replace lost equipment and repair their flooded facilities.

"My staff and I were  watching the news and seeing the horrible effects that Hurricane Harvey was having on the people and their homes in Southeast Houston," JVA executive director Jenny Hahn said. "I casually asked how many member club we have in that area, and the reply was 83. Those clubs, the coaches, the families are part of our volleyball community. The JVA Rally Against Harvey is a small way that we feel we can help people get back on their feet, back in their homes, and back to a normal life."

The JVA kicked off the fundraising with a $5,000 donation and it has asked individuals in its nationwide networks of volleyball players, families, and coaches to contribute. It also hopes that clubs and schools will take things a step further and put a donation jar out at their facilities, host a 50-50 raffle at a tournament or event, or have a club-wide garage sale to get even more members of the community involved.