CHARLOTTE, N.C.- Queens University of Charlotte’s Head Women’s Soccer Coach, Katie Talbert, in conjunction with the Queens Athletic Department, and the women’s soccer team, is a proud supporter and recent donator to the non-profit organization, Peace Passers.
The organization’s mission is to collect and distribute soccer supplies such as balls, jerseys, and shorts to less fortunate people all over the world; thereby increasing the quality of life through promoting mutual respect for others and positive human relationships in the lives of the recipients through the love of sports.
Talbert has been supportive of the Peace Passers mission by donating Queens jerseys and shorts from previous seasons that the team is not longer using. Talbert’s first donation occurred in the spring of 2008, and then once again in the fall of 2008. “We really enjoy helping facilitate the growth of the game,” said Talbert, who plans to donate again in the fall of 2009. “We are looking forward to expanding that by providing copies of our drill books for player development.”
To date, the jerseys donated by Queens have been distributed to San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, and an orphanage in Ethiopia. Another bag of gear is heading to Moshi, Tanzania to the area near Mt. Kilimanjaro.
The motto of Queens University of Charlotte, Non ministrari sed ministrare, “not to be served, but to serve” rings clearly for one Queen’s alum, Candace Cooper, ’03, who has gone on to promote service and charitable giving through her creation of the organization Peace Passers.
As an avid soccer player throughout her childhood and into her college days, with a fond love for travel to exotic and remote locations, Cooper realized the connection that the sport of soccer held in terms of promoting social change in the communities she visited. “The nature of the game inherently creates harmony and unity, serving as a way to spread joy and peace across cultural and economic boundaries,” said Cooper.
Soccer provides a universal language for Cooper and her team of Peace Passers, who see that no matter where you are in the world, despite a language barrier, people understand the game of soccer, and it can bring joy and freedom to those who play in spite of their current living circumstances.
Talbert has also put Cooper into contact with other coaches around the state, with the knowledge that teams frequently change their brand sponsorships and can therefore no longer use old gear. Cooper notes that the donations are like a form of recycling, “What purpose are they serving sitting in storage collecting dust, or just tossed aside,” said Cooper. “The core of our mission is to collect new and used soccer gear and re-distribute to areas in need.”
Peace Passers is extraordinarily grateful for the donations because Cooper understands that an old ball or jersey to a child here in the United States, is a brand new ball or jersey to a child living in Nicaragua or Africa. “We are more than happy to donate to such a worthy cause,” says Talbert, “Because this is one simple way to bring joy to so many people, and it is made easy for us because of all the hard work and sweat Candace has put in. I hope that others will feel encouraged to donate as well.”
