Kiera Lyons, a sophomore at Southern High School in Harwood, Maryland (Anne Arundel County) plays on the varsity soccer team & plays club for U-15 Freestate ECNL Storm. She took the lead on organizing a collection drive for Peace Passers, collecting gear from her high school team, Freestate ECLN Storm, U-15 Freestate Wolverines & the U-13 Freestate Fireballs.

Kiera told Peace Passers “I was inspired by a pre-college visit to Notre Dame. After returning from their summer soccer camp, I searched the internet for soccer charities that might need my help. As soon as I discovered the PeacePassers.org website, I knew I found the one! I liked their mission and that Candace was a soccer player. I knew I had a lot of gear I was not using anymore and that my friends did too, so I
decided to start a cleat drive. I asked my high school coach, my club team and my sister’s club teams to contribute. Turns out, many families had used gear they wanted to donate. Overall, I collected 51 pairs of cleats.”

In November Kiera’s high school team made the Maryland State 2A finals for the first time in the school’s history. Right after the finals Kiera traveled to play in the Capital Area League Shootout (CASL) tournament in Raleigh (with club team Freestate Soccer Alliance, Bowie, MD). Kiera explained “After the state finals, my mom and I drove to Raleigh and then the next day, after the CASL game, we drove another couple of hours to Charlotte to meet Candace and drop off the donations. I was really excited to hear they would be getting to Guatemala only a week or so after I brought them.”

Way to go Kiera! Thank you for setting an inspirational example both on and off the field!

With the season of thanks upon us there’s no better time to bring thanks to a recent donation made by Lexxi Martini from Albany, New York. Lexxi is currently in her first year of college at the University of Connecticut, School of Business. Before heading to college this past fall, as part of a service project Lexxi organized a collection of used soccer gear from her community and team mates. Lexxi (4th from left in picture) was a 4 year Varsity player for the Guilderland Girls High School Varsity Soccer team. All together Lexxi collected over 75 high school and junior varsity team jerseys, warm ups and shorts including over a dozen cleats and turf shoes. All of this equipment is now headed to Afghanistan.

James Gorman is a soldier in the U.S. Army and is presently deployed in Afghanistan. James has spent his free time volunteering at a local school in Kandahar serving 75 boys age 6 to16. In an area of the world where the atmosphere is often volatile & threatening, the game of soccer provides a positive outlet for the boys at this school. While volunteering James observed the need for soccer equipment and took initiative to seek out resources where gear might be available, which is when he contacted Peace Passers.

Much appreciation goes to Mr. Gary Martini (Lexxi’s dad) for reaching out to Peace Passers to help in identifying where to send the collected gear. After Peace Passers connected Lexxi’s collection to the request from James, Gary helped facilitate & fund the shipment to Afghanistan.

James told us “I know the boys will be so excited. They have grown up in such a harsh environment, and it is important that they have a chance to just be kids.” A Peace Passers thank you to Lexxi, the Lady Dutch players, Gary Martini and to James for his efforts beyond the call of duty! Peace, play & soccer for all.

“I felt inspired to help because I love soccer and I don’t know what I would do without it” – Sean

An Eagle Scout Service Project is the opportunity for a Scout in the Boy Scouts of America to demonstrate leadership of others while performing a project for the benefit of his community. In order to complete this endeavor, 15 year-old Sean McManus reached out to Peace Passers. All in all Sean collected over 1,000 items of soccer gear from his community in Spotsylvania, VA.

After Sean and his fellow troops counted and organized the equipment Peace Passers connected him to a collaborative partner Chris Crane who’s efforts are focused in Nicaragua with The Pulsera Project (check out www.pulseraproject.org ). With a packed SUV, Sean & his dad drove the gear 3 ½ hours from their home in Spotsylvania, VA to meet Chris in West Chester, PA. Chris Crane explained “The soccer equipment that Sean collected and donated to Peace Passers will go to youth in Nicaragua living in the poor neighborhoods of San Marcos, Masaya, Managua, as well as to a youth shelter on Ometepe Island, called Sí a la Vida. In all of these locations we work with community leaders to provide opportunities for young people, and that includes the opportunity to be part of a soccer team. Soccer teams provide youth communities with a great foundation of fun and fellowship that helps kids become the best they can be.”

The service experience is explained best by Sean himself, “Knowing that I am having a positive impact on the lives of other youth makes me feel great. This donation drive was different than other drives I have participated in before. It was personal to me and I felt like I was in the driver’s seat. Also this time, I will know exactly who the donations are going to (youth in Nicaragua) and will be able to actually see the impact of my project. I felt inspired to help because I love soccer and I don’t know what I would do without it. To provide other people with the opportunity to play means the world to me.”

Sean’s insightful remarks: “I was also inspired by the quote from Winston Churchill, ‘We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.’ I have learned that I can make a difference in the world. Thank you Peace Passers for giving me this opportunity to help serve!”

Check out more of Sean’s amazing photos on the Peace Passers Facebook page. And don’t forget to ‘like us’ and share with friends!

Back in 2009 high school student Jake Budlow (Chatham, NJ) collected 190 pairs of cleats for Peace Passers and shipped them to Playforhope.org supporting soccer in Rwanda (http://peacepassers.org/high-school-student-collects-190-pairs-of-boots-for-peacepassers). This recent picture of Jake’s 2011 collection shows he is growing up into an inspirational young man and reaching new heights with his community service efforts.

Once again Jake created and executed a successful collection drive for Peace Passers.  Jake’s dad Bob Budlow explained “After Peace Passers put us in touch with Cassie Childers’s Tibet project (http://tibetsoccer.bbnow.org/) Jake learned that Tibetan refugees living in India were starting a soccer program and had nothing in terms of equipment. Recognizing that cleats were only one part of the necessary equipment Jake began to collect cleats, shin guards, uniforms, goalie gloves and jerseys. He reached out to the community and they responded in kind.  Over the course of six months he collected 160 pairs of cleats, 60 pairs of shin guards, 20 uniforms, goalie shirts, goalie gloves and even a few soccer bags.”

Jake and his parents personally delivered the donations to Cassie Childers at her home in the Jersey Shore.  She offered to be the messenger of Jake’s good tidings to the Tibetan refugees & will also document the project on her blog: http://forbiddendreamtibet.blogspot.com/2011/09/this-time-is-different.html

When Jake was asked for a quote to encompass how he felt about doing this drive he said “It is so rewarding and fun for me to know that what I’m doing here in my community can have such a positive impact to children halfway around the world.  The last time I ran a cleat drive was for children in Rwanda.  This time it was for children in Dharamsala, India — the homeland of the Dalai Lama.  Can you ask for anything more interesting than that?” Jake, we couldn’t agree more!

A group of 31 students and faculty from Covenant Day School in Matthews, NC spent July 18-24 in Costa Rica, working with the Abraham Project and delivering gear given by PeacePassers. The Abraham Project was started by seven people from a local church who began with $20 and a desire to impact their community. The project now includes children’s homes, where house parents care for children who have been abused or abandoned, and a day care for local children which enables their parents to find work. Many of the t-shirts given by PeacePassers will be distributed to poverty-stricken indigenous people who are served by the project. A multi purpose building is currently under construction, and the NC group was privileged to play a small part in the process. The Abraham Project facilities are built with reclaimed materials including wood previously used in shipping crates by a local glass company. Hours were spent removing nails, treating the wood with insecticide, and sanding. Lunch hour and afternoon breaks were spent bonding with the Costa Rican laborers over games of soccer played with a PeacePassers ball on what will become an indoor pitch. The Costa Rican expression pura vida, meant to convey the fullness and joy of life, was experienced and passed on. Many thanks to PeacePassers for playing a big part!

Check out more pictures here:

https://picasaweb.google.com/100998706499039972514/PuraVidaJuly2011CovenantDaySchool?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCP3N26OvwvSslAE&feat=directlink