NASHUA – Though they are rivals on the athletic field, students from Bishop Guertin High School and Nashua High School South united on Wednesday morning to unload a U-Haul truck worth featuring clothing and toiletries to help Nashua students in need.

Phillips Academy Senior Purushottham Sankarnarayan and Bishop Guertin senior Hayden Moses have spent much of the summer collecting these items.

Moses said at the beginning of his summer, he heard there were children in Nashua schools in need of clothing and toiletries.

He reached out to Director of Adult and Community Education Laurie Rothhaus for direction. They eventually determined that collected clothing and toiletries could be used in Nashua High School North’s Catie’s Closet and in a similar program run at Nashua High School South.

Moses then reached out to Sankarnarayan, the son of his former World Academy math teacher.

“I figured that I should ask somebody who is not necessarily in this area because if I were to ask one of my Bishop Guertin buddies on my football team, we would have been talking to the same people,” Moses said. “In order to get more people involved and get more donations, I talked to (Sankarnarayan) and he started spreading the word in Andover, (Massachusetts).”

Both students went door to door collecting supplies and clothing from their neighborhood. They put bins at World Academy, Bishop Guertin, Phillips Academy and Andover’s YMCA. They also spread the word through social media and soon racked up enough clothing and supplies that they needed a U-Haul truck to hold it all.

“I love Nashua,” Moses said. “I love being part of the Nashua community and it hurts me to see all the people who are in need in this great community. I just wanted to do as much as I could to try and help people out.”

Moses ensured that this was not the end of their efforts.

“We’re trying to help as many people as we can. There’s never enough to go around,” Moses said.

Sankarnarayan said, “These are students who are living in poverty and need clothes to give them some self confidence. This way they can go to school and get a better education.”

Both students expressed their gratitude Wednesday by helping to unload the truck. Three football players from Bishop Guertin, Patrick Blanchette, Nick Connerty and Matt Jozokos, joined 14 players from Nashua High School South, Kyle Salemi, Ryan Salemi, Alex Swisher, Luke Panyanouvong, Anthony Mota, Henry Hanya, Zach Marcella, Braden McDonell, Robert Isaac, Brady Swisher, Eden Damis, Jake McDevitt, Ben Levine, Cedrick Dabney. Coaches, parents and Nashua High School South Principal Keith Richard, Director of Adult and Community Education Laurie Rothhaus, and Adult and Community Education Secretary Renee Santos also helped unload the truck.

Nashua High School South’s Librarian Sharon Flesher-Duffy will be organizing the donations.

“We really appreciate everybody’s help and we want to help as many people as we can,” Moses said. “It wasn’t something that was going to help us. We just wanted to help the community. I mean, (Nashua High School) South football players and Bishop Guertin football players showing up shows that we’re not the only ones who want to help.”

Sankarnarayan said, “People have been going out of their way to find clothes to help people who are not as fortunate as them.”

“With great privilege comes great responsibility. From there, a dream happened and you made it come true,” Rothhaus told the pair Wednesday.

“Students helping students – there’s nothing better,” Richard said.

“It’s amazing that students who are not ours, but are in our community, are looking out for other kids,” Richard added. “It’s a rival on the field, but we’re all community members trying to help each other out. It’s great to see.”

Rothhaus said the students did this act of kindness for all the right reasons, which makes it even more special.

Grace Pecci may be reached at 594-1243, or at gpecci@nashuatelegraph.com.

Newsletter