ISA Helps Those Stranded By COVID-19
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As the COVID-19 crisis continues to negatively impact everyone in the local and global community with closure of the world economy, it also provides people and businesses opportunities to help others in a time of need. International Sports Academy (ISA) in Hoosick Falls is one of those businesses and owner Rade Dzambic is one of those people.
When the virus took hold and drastic measures were put in place, seemingly overnight, mass confusion quickly ensued. Travel bans and flight cancelations left a small but vulnerable population with few options. International students from all over the world had to scramble to make plans to return home, in many cases, it was already too late.
Airlines had already canceled flights and those that were still scheduled were already overbooked. Fortunately for the students of ISA, Mr. Dzambic was able to work with his students and parents to get nearly all of his students home before they were stranded. However, that was not the case for a number of students studying in other institutions. In fact, a number of these young men and women were left practically abandoned at airports and train stations, left to their own devices to find a way home.
Enter Mr. Dzambic and ISA. Realizing that his facility, the old Saint Mary’s Academy now converted to a dormitory, was still operational but empty, he offered to house those students who had nowhere to go. He also realized that people needed a place to self-isolate after traveling around the country and offered his facility up for that purpose as well. He coordinated with Hoosac School, who normally have a number of students at ISA, to provide food for his guests.
This gesture was not advertised nor was it something that Mr. Dzambic felt was exceptional, he simply knew it was the right thing to do. Little did he realize what an impact he would have. Students from China, Brazil, South Africa, Italy and his home country of Serbia thankfully utilized ISA until they could return home. Now that all have returned safely or made more permanent arrangements in the United States, Mr. Dzambic has offered up his facility for whatever uses may be needed from the local community. He informed Father Tom of ICC his intentions and also conveyed to the Town Supervisor, Mark Surdam via Hoosac School headmaster Dean Foster that should the Town need a place to set up a quarantine or isolation location that he was ready to help.
Lately, in the news, we have seen the worst in people, fights over toilet paper and the hoarding of essential supplies, but in Hoosick Falls, the actions of people like Mr. Dzambic, remind us that despite the COVID-19 we are a community that cares.