In July 2010 I was contacted by Lori McCaffrey from the Kickers Soccer Club in Aurora, IL. Lori recognized that the club had extra soccer balls, pinnies, whistles, and duffle bags donated from Dicks Sporting Goods. She took initiative to get the extra items boxed up and shipped out to Charlotte, NC. In the same fashion I was also contacted by Ronell Uran from Sartell High School (Sartell, MN) who sent an email explaining, “I am a coach at Sartell High School and have two sets of jerseys that I would like to donate. I have 40 white jerseys and 34 blue jerseys from the company High 5. They were used for my junior high teams.” Overall Coach Ronell boxed up and shipped 98 jerseys to Peace Passers.

Once received in Charlotte the circle of giving continued on with a connection to the Charlotte Eagles Soccer club. In our 4th donation to the Charlotte Eagles we were able to connect these items to their August 2010 mission trip to Kenya. Mitch Sanford (International Tour Director Charlotte Eagles) explained the “camps were held at a high school (almost all secondary schools in Kenya are boarding schools) in Mpeketoni, Kenya where we could house and feed all the boys. They also had two soccer fields on campus. There were about 80 boys from 5 different villages in the coastal region of Kenya. Most of these boys live in mud huts with thatch roofs and dirt floors. The Eagles and New Life Homes (the ministry we partner with over there) have been training coaches the past few years.”
Thanks to Lori, the Kickers Soccer Club, Coach Ronell, and the partnership with Mitch and the Charlotte Eagles for participating in the Peace Passers circle of giving back to the game.

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