Atlantis Cricket Club – NY has been very busy during the off-season off the field of play and engaging in civic-minded initiatives. The community activities are in keeping with the club’s motto – Atlantis…More than just cricket!
Atlantis donated cricket gear and 26 playing outfits to Guyana’s Positive Foundation Agricola Youth Cricket Club. It also contributed financially to the Basil Butcher Foundation in Berbice, Guyana. The latter Foundation benefits youths in Berbice County, Guyana.
In addition, Atlantis donated several boxes of non-perishable food, sanitary items, and cases of water to a Bronx initiative benefiting the surviving families of the devastating apartment building fire last month in The Bronx that left 17 persons dead. Following the response to the afore-mentioned requests, Atlantis stepped up its game very quickly to donate several boxes of clothing items for men, women, and children to the St. Mary Church Clothing Drive in Brooklyn, NY.
Atlantis, now celebrating its 52nd year as an organization that started with the sole purpose of playing cricket, has been extended to include an Annual Toy Drive, Coat Drive, Habitat for Humanity participation, Atlantis Cares…Canned Food Drive, Hurricane, and Flood Disaster Relief efforts. Along the way, Atlantis has sponsored representative women’s cricket teams, winning five Women’s T20 Championships at the Georgia Women Cricket Association’s Annual Women’s T20 Cricket Tournament. One may argue, Atlantis…More than just men’s cricket!
Over the past 20 years, Atlantis has given out almost $40,000.00 in stipends to first-time college-bound students through its Annual Shevonne Mentis Educational Scholarship Fund Awards. Many of the students are first in their families to attend college or find it necessary to receive a small helping hand along the way. Atlantis established the scholarship fund in memory of Shevonne Mentis, a 25-year-old Borough of Manhattan Community College student who perished in the World Trade Center attack on September 11, 2001. Ms. Mentis was the daughter of Atlantis Honorary Life Member – Aubrey Mentis.
With the recent passing of three former players who also served on the club’s Executive Board – Desmond Thompson, Keith Aaron, and Leslie “Tulu” Lewis and the outpouring of contributions from the New York community, scholarships will now be awarded in the names of those three members. Two of them passed away last year within months of each other.
Colin Sandy, who was recently reelected Atlantis’ President for a second term, said, “When people often think of Atlantis, the name is usually associated with attracting some of the best men and women cricketers in the USA. However, Atlantis is committed to making a tangible contribution to the welfare of others in the community. We get involved with activities that benefit the community at large and in many instances, the underserved or less fortunate among us.”
