Tuesday night tens of thousands of people packed downtown Cleveland to honor the 2016 NBA Champion Cleveland Cavaliers, and to cheer on the Cleveland Indians in their 6-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs in Game 1 of the 2016 World Series!

“There is an energy in East Ohio right now that makes us realize that anything is possible,” said Bishop Tracy S. Malone.  “I invite you to channel that energy and join me in giving generously to UMCOR for hurricane relief in Haiti.”

The World Series Challenge for Haiti is a mission opportunity of the East Ohio Conference and the Northern Illinois Conference.  Bishop Malone and Bishop Sally Dyck ask you to show support for your favorite World Series team by making donations that will help our brothers and sisters in Haiti recover and rebuild following Hurricane Matthew.

The cross-conference mission challenge was created to bring people together for a common cause.  In the midst of all the excitement and energy around the World Series, we recognize that there are concerns across the country regarding specific team mascots that are considered to be offensive.

“The Indians mascot, particularly in the form of the Chief Wahoo caricature and along with use of drums and war whoops at Indians games, continues a long pattern of demeaning, mocking, and mimicking the Native people of America,” says the Rev. Dan Hawk, chairperson of EOC Native American Ministries.

The East Ohio Conference and the Northern Illinois Conference are working together for a common goal – raising money for hurricane relief in Haiti.

Thank you for your continued generous support of this mission opportunity.  Donations should be made to the International Relief Fund (Advance #982450 of the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), which will track and tally the amounts to determine which conference collected the most.

To donate online:

• Click on the link above
• Submit your donation information
• Enter your state and the name of your church, so that it – and the conference – receive credit
• Click Submit

To donate by phone:

• Call 1-888-252-6174

“Friends, let us have fun as we cheer on our team and give generously to support Haiti.  Go Cleveland!” Malone said.

Be it Cleveland or Chicago, only one city will celebrate a 2016 World Series championship, but we can all win by showing support for our respective teams, and working together in mission to change lives and transform the world.

Donations for the World Series Challenge for Haiti must be made by November 2, 2016.