Have you been tuning in to the 2014 World Cup this year? As the World Cup is on the minds and televisions of millions of people around the world, it’s easy to forget that soccer is the dominant sport in many countries where being able to afford to play the game is struggle. The Huffington Post shared a story wonderful story of how one child is making sure that children in those countries aren’t forgotten.
In 2009 while traveling on a trip to Mozambique with his father to rehabilitate water wells, now 14-year-old Michigan native, Ethan King got to see the game of soccer through a different set of eyes as he played with children in the village.
For the first time, he saw other children playing with balls that were made from plastic bags and wrapped with twine, as well the difference in family life with children raising other children because the older generation had died from disease. On that trip he gave away his first soccer ball and watch the children cheer, changing his life forever.
The power of generosity encouraged him to start his non-profit organization Charity Ball in 2010 with the help of his family and friends. Thanks to donations and fundraising from their documentary “Pass the Ball,” the organization has hand delivered more than 4,000 new, high-quality soccer balls to underserved children in 22 countries.
Why donate a soccer ball? According the Charity Ball, giving children the opportunity to play soccer promotes friendships, good health, reduces crime, teaches positive coping mechanisms, and creates a sense of self worth.
If you’d like to get involved, all it takes is a donation of $25 to help change the lives of children in a community around the world. Although Ethan kept getting told no in the beginning, his determination shows that you can change the world by simply using something you already love to positively impact the world. What hobbies are you passionate about?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rgGOz942WY
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