2 Great Neck girls use basketball to help Ukraine relief

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2 Great Neck girls use basketball to help Ukraine relief
Tori Sobiecki, left, and Abby Podwall

By Michael J. Lewis

Abby Podwall and Tori Sobiecki love basketball, playing it as much as they can.

They also have watched, like people around the world, some of the devastation happening in Ukraine over the last several weeks, following the Russian invasion.

And with Abby and Tori’s bat mitzvahs both approaching, the girls have teamed up to do what they can to help those suffering in Ukraine.

On April 7, in conjunction with Temple Beth-El and St. Aloysius Roman Catholic Church, the kids are hosting a Hoops for Humanity fundraiser for Ukraine.

That night, from 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m., contestants who have donated will play an “around the world” style basketball game, trying to sink shots from various parts of the court.

Money raised will go to the Northwell Health Ukrainian Relief Fund, which has been supporting Doctors Without Borders on their missions in Ukraine.

“We have been seeing on the news all the tragic things happening there, with houses being blown up, and many people needing food and medical support,” Abby said. “And it was a thing where we wanted to do what we could to help, because it’s so sad.”
“I try not to watch too much of it, because it’s upsetting, but of course we know what’s going on,” Tori added. “This is just something we think people will have fun doing, since we play basketball all the time.”
The event will feature pizza from Rosa’s Pizza and Pizza Roxx, and will take place at St. Aloysius Church gym at 5 Breuer Ave. Interested people can donate at this link: https://tbegn.wufoo.com/forms/q1397nj91p8fvox/
“This is something all the kids are aware of, and people have a visceral reaction to what they’re seeing,” David Podwall, Abby’s father, said. “Doctors Without Borders and Northwell have done a great job so far raising money, and this is just another small way to help.”
Abby and Tori both said that they are happy to be doing their small part for the relief effort, knowing kids just like them in Ukraine are suffering and in need of as much help as possible.
And Abby said she hopes other kids will follow and do fundraising for this needy cause.
“Hopefully it inspires other kids to do similar things to stand up for what they believe in, and make change in the world,” she said. “We just feel like we really want to help.”

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