Give-A-Ball Foundation Partners with J/P Haitian Relief Organization (J/P HRO) to Host Community Soccer Clinics for Local Youth
Brooklyn, NY (PRWEB) July 25, 2013 -- On July 18th and 19th, Give-A-Ball Foundation teamed up with Haiti-based J/P Haitian Relief Organization (J/P HRO) to carry out the Give-A-Ball Journey Program, a series of soccer clinics and tournament-style games held in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The event offered 150 girls and boys between the ages of 8 and 14 the opportunity to engage in team-oriented sports, while building and improving their athletic skills and reinforcing fundamentals vital to their development.
Tosin Fawibe, Founder and President of Give-A-Ball Foundation, Inc., sees the partnership as an opportunity to impact the lives of children in a powerful, memorable way. “Our Give-A-Ball Journey Program in Haiti was an amazing experience that allowed us to connect with the local children through soccer,” he said. “I’m glad our organization could join forces with J/P HRO to put smiles on the faces of 150 children and, more importantly, to reinforce health, fitness, education, teamwork, and character fundamentals that will help these children as they grow and develop—on and off the soccer field.”
“J/P HRO recognizes the enormous value that sports brings to every child and every neighborhood,” said Kamilah Morain, J/P HRO Community Project Manager. “Participating in initiatives like this dovetails with J/P HRO’s broader mission and the valuable work we are doing to rebuild and strengthen communities, ensure public health, and support families as they restart their lives.”
Give-A-Ball Foundation was founded in 2009 to provide the gift of soccer to children in under-served countries after founder Tosin Fawibe experienced the enormous positive impact of sports during his own adolescence. The organization has made three trips to Ibadan, Nigeria, providing 325 brand new soccer balls and over 800 pieces of gear and equipment. Co-Founder and Vice-President Tobi Abereoje and Co-Founder and Treasurer Mayowa Fawibe oversee all aspects of the organization alongside Michael “Mancini” McConnell, Director of Development.
Dominique Pierre-Louis is Give-A-Ball Foundation's Haiti Liaison and a key member of the team, helping to carry out the organization's efforts in Haiti. Born to Haitian parents in New York, Dominique approached Tosin to support Give-A-Ball’s expansion plans to Haiti during the organization's first Kicking In the New Fundraiser on February 21st, 2013, after a life-changing trip to the country in 2012, in which she found that children whose lives had been overturned by the devastating earthquake there had few organized recreational opportunities. “Give-A-Ball Foundation is glad that Dominique has bridged the gap for our organization to empower children through soccer in Haiti for many years to come,” Tosin said. “With the success of the program, we are dedicated to establishing sustainable sports programs for children in Haiti.”
About Give-A-Ball Foundation
Give-A-Ball Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit organization that empowers youth by providing soccer balls, gear, and equipment to create sports environments that foster the fundamentals of Health, Fitness, Education, Teamwork, and Character in youth. Since late 2009, the organization has provided 500 soccer balls and over 1100 pieces of gear and equipment to children in Nigeria and Haiti. For more information, please visit GiveABall.org or Facebook.com/GiveABall.
About J/P Haitian Relief Organization
J/P Haitian Relief Organization is dedicated to saving lives and bringing sustainable programs to the Haitian people quickly and effectively. Following the tragic earthquake of 2010, J/P HRO began working immediately to make a meaningful and lasting impact in Haiti. J/P HRO programs focus on supporting the residents of the camps we manage and the surrounding areas transition from life left homeless by the earthquake to durable, sustainable and prosperous communities. J/P HRO has implemented its mission through four integrated programs: Medical, Camp & Relocations Management, Engineering & Construction, and Community Development. We work with the support of and in collaboration with local and national government leaders, community-based organizations, other international NGOs, UN agencies, donors, and—most importantly—community members themselves. More information can be found at JPHRO.org.
Tosin Fawibe, Give-A-Ball Foundation, Inc., http://giveaball.org/, 1-888-607-0043, [email protected]
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