| Fundafield in Africa- Danville Mustang Soccer Players develop a worthy project |
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| on 01 Jul 2009 | |
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“Sport
has the power to unite people in a way little else can. Sport can
create hope where there was once only despair. It breaks down racial
barriers. It laughs in the face of discrimination. Sport speaks to
people in a language they can understand…. [It is] probably the most
effective means of communication in the modern world." -Nelson Mandela
My family and I were extremely fortunate to attend this World Cup game
featuring Angola and Iran. The atmosphere of the game was more than
exciting, it was breath-taking. As we began our descent to our seats,
you could not help but notice the massive sea of Iranian fans, green
and red flooding the stadium. And then, way over in the corner we saw a
very small section of red shirts and Angolan flags.
It was Angola’s first year to ever play in the World Cup Games and they
knew that they were not nearly as competitive as other teams in the
World Cup. However, the Angola fans shared a greater passion for being
at the games than any of the other team’s fans we had seen. The passion
the Angolans displayed was contagious, and this passion is what sparked
the desire to FUNDaFIELD.
We discovered that just earning the right to make it to the World Cup
was a major achievement for this impoverished country. Organized Sports
are a luxury that most cannot afford. Daily life for many African
children consists of little or no education, near starvation, and fear
for many that their parents have been infected with HIV. Short of the
basic necessities needed to survive, luxuries such as sports, are a
very low priority in their lives.
My
brother and I have been extremely fortunate to have grown up with
playable fields, sufficient equipment, and organized teams to play
soccer, the sport we love so much. When our cleats were too small, our
parents bought us new ones. If we played on turf, we had turf shoes as
well. We took a soccer ball to practice and our teams always had
uniforms that matched. We didn’t think much of it, it was just how it
was.
Meeting the fans from Angola was an eye opener. Seeing the excitement
in their eyes and hearing the passion in their voice, for a sport they
loved as much as we do, motivated us to create FUNDaFIELD. We hope to bring to African children, the same enjoyment my brother and I experienced growing up on a soccer field.
Our objective is to earn $100,000 for soccer fields and equipment.
Please peruse our site and learn how your one dollar contribution can
help us, FUNDaFIELD.
Thank you in advance,
Garrett & Kyle Weiss Co-Founders
Click here to read more |
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