[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 39 (Wednesday, March 17, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E399]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             HONORING BRYANE HEABERLIN AND ALEXANDER COSBY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. KENDRICK B. MEEK

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 17, 2010

  Mr. MEEK of Florida. Madam Speaker, today I rise to tell a 
heartwarming story of two young soccer players united in their common 
humanity.
  Bryane Heaberlin is a sixteen-year-old goalkeeper from St. 
Petersburg, Florida playing on the U.S. under-17 soccer team. Alexandra 
Cosby is the goalkeeper on Haiti's under-17 team. Last week, after the 
U.S. defeated Haiti at the Confederation of North, Central American and 
Caribbean Association Football Cup in Costa Rica, the young women 
embraced in an emotional moment replayed around the world.
  When Alexandra started crying at the end of the game, Bryane 
immediately understood. Still recovering from the effects of a 
devastating earthquake in her homeland, Alexandra and her teammates 
suffered through unspeakable tragedy. Bryane, understanding her team's 
victory was bittersweet, gave Alexandra a hug. They cried together. 
Soon after, both teams embraced in an emotional display of solidarity 
and friendship.
  The story of Bryane and Alexandra is a testament to the enduring 
union and the generosity of spirit between the United States and Haiti. 
Our nations are neighbors and partners in an increasingly 
interdependent world. As young Bryane said after the game, ``I did not 
think about the game at that moment . . . I simply thought about the 
hard times she had faced and everything she had lost. I thought that 
when the game was over, she had to come back to reality, that the game 
was her way of forgetting about everything for 90 minutes.'' 
Furthermore, Bryane's parents, Bryan and Gretchen along with the 
Clearwater Soccer Club and their daughter's school, delivered a 70-
pound care package to the Haitian women's team.
  Madam Speaker, as the representative of more Haitian Americans than 
any other member of Congress, I am compelled to share this story with 
my constituents and the broader public. Our community is hurting, but 
reading this story by John Cotey in the St. Petersburg Times gave me 
hope that brighter days are ahead for Haiti. These two young women are 
living examples of how sports bring us together in our common humanity. 
I applaud their compassion and grace in the face of adversity. Let us 
not forget their example as our nations move forward together.

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