Let’s face it, professional athlete players associations are a breed apart from the unions to which average Americans belong.  Their core functions are the same, advocating and negotiating on behalf of their respective constituencies.  But millionaire players have a set of needs that is quite different than, say, the Local Union No. 3, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

It is good to see the associations banding together to step up on behalf of the victims of the disaster in Haiti.

Today, the players associations of the four major U.S. pro sports announced the creation of the “One Team 4 Haiti” campaign to support the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund’s focus on the country’s earthquake relief and recovery efforts.

From their joint press release:

The campaign will launch with a text message fundraising effort supporting the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund. In the U.S., supporters can text the word “TEAM” to 20222 to donate $10. Canadian supporters can text the word “TEAM” to 20222 (starting on 1/23/10) to donate $5. The amount will be charged to donor’s cell phone bill. One hundred percent of the proceeds raised by the texting campaign will go directly to relief efforts.

The “ONE TEAM 4 HAITI” campaign will also promote relief efforts in Haiti by airing public service announcements featuring professional athletes from all four major sports.

I think the key component here is the PSAs.  There are a lot of good options for people who want to help, and it’s hard to think of a better use for money than directly helping people who are in most desperate need.

My fear in these disasters is that after an initial surge of help, the cause is forgotten, when assistance is still needed.  I hope that an ongoing campaign, featuring players from all sports, reaching a wide audience of generous sports fans, will keep Haiti in our thoughts and, importantly, in our charitable minds as the country recovers from this unspeakable horror.