Seattle Seahawks defensive end Cliff Avril will head to Haiti again this offseason to finish building a school he started three years ago, along with the help of other NFL players.
The school is called La Chanm and will be completed just two years after he broke ground on the project. Avril’s parents are from Haiti, and he treasures getting to help out a country in need – especially one that means so much to him.
“It has been awesome,” Avril said, via the team website. “It has been great to be able to do something like this, to be able to go back to a country that I love so much as I’ve gotten to learn the history of the country and the people there, understanding who these people are and what they’re unfortunately going through. To be in a situation to be able to give back is the biggest thing for me.”
Avril’s football career is in jeopardy after suffering a neck injury that cut short his 2017 season and could impact his ability to see the field in 2018. The Seahawks have been busy stocking up on defensive linemen in case Avril is unable to go this year.
Regardless of how much longer he plays, Avril will continue to help his native Haiti as long as he can.
“So the goal is to continue to keep doing good things in Haiti, whether it’s building a community, maybe it’s another school project, I’m not sure,” Avril explained. “But I’m going to keep chopping away, that’s for sure, and hopefully the 12s continue to stick by my side and help with that process.’
If you want to help support Avril’s work in Haiti, you can attend the Cliff Avril Family Foundation’s Ping Pong Slam at SPiN Seattle on May 19.
Event information can be found here.
More Seahawks news:
