|
We did it with the help of some amazing people. The Season Opener was a huge success. Despite the rain, we had a great turn out. Both Kyle Orton and Bob Love came. Toasts were made. Our children were on hand to play in the Wii tournament and greet the guests. We need to thank each one of you who came out to support us. We also need to thank our fundraising committee who put so much time and effort in to make this a success! Laarni Elazegui, Laura Fitzgerald, Emily Lederberger, and Alicia Mohr were the heroes that made this happen. We will definitely hold the Season Opener in 2009. Thank you again for your support.
|
|
|
We are officially one year old. As is the case with many occasions, it gives me time to reflect on how far we've come and how far we have to go. When we started this, we thought optimistically we would work with about 40 children in our first year. We underestimated. We worked with about 350 and did it through the help of volunteers. We were on a shoe-string budget, but we made it work. The Season Opener, our first fundraiser that will become an annual event, will help us continue to develop our programs and our capacity to help more children. It's not surprising that the need is there for our programs. However, we are surprised how quickly we were found. So we sincerely hope that the Season Opener is going to be a success. Heard of Kyle Orton? Bob Love? They are going to come out to support the cause. We would love it if you came too!
|
|
Well, I just sent out an email letting everyone know about our very first fundraiser, which will be held in April. April will also mark our one-year anniversary of programming - an exciting landmark in our development. In our first year, which we are not through yet, our learning curve was beyond steep. We were doing everything for the first time and loving it. It has taken more courage than I thought I had and more gritty determination by so many of our volunteers to make this work. But here we are, in our downward slope, steadily moving toward our one-year anniversary, and we have made it further than we had hoped. I know this entry is a bit pre-mature. But planning for a nonprofit requires looking out months, even years. And I know now that we will be around looking for new ways to change the game. |
Hi everyone,
It has been a ridiculously long time since I've written. We have been busy over here. We got our first pen pal letters and donation off to our friends at the African Volunteer Football Academy for the Less Privileged in Cameroon. We hope that our donations will help the children there, and we are eagerly awaiting a response from our new friends.
We also announced a few new opportunities to our children this weekend. Thanks to our very generous donors, we are able to offer two scholarships to the Super Summer Sports camp that run for a month and a half on the college campus. The head baseball coach at the University of Chicago has also agreed to allow a few of our young men participate as bat boys during the team's home games. Finally, we formally introduced our equipment grant program, outlined on our programs page. The boys were excited about each of these opportunities. We emphasized that these are opportunities they will have to earn.
Last thing I want to tell you is that we have had amazing people come out and help us. Right now, three fantastic women are helping me plan our first fundraiser, which will be held in January. Like our coaches, I am overwhelmed at their generosity, both in spirit, in time, and in sweat equity. We have been so lucky, and we never cease to be grateful.
Sometimes its hard to see the big picture and know that we are doing the right thing. But then we see the kids we work with. From the first second we see their little faces, all the doubts fall away, and we are committed anew to changing the game.
Speak to you soon,
Eun Jung |
|
The University of Chicago |
|
This past Saturday, Oct. 13, the University of Chicago baseball team hosted 25 of our boys for the day. We watched an intersquad scrimmage, where our young men provided a lively cheering section. Then they were able to go out onto the field and participate in clinics that taught the fundamentals of pitching, infield and outfield. Finally, they ended with hitting stations. It was amazing to see our young men on the field with the University of Chicago baseball players. Here were 25 boys from just down the road stepping into a different world. The baseball team was excited to work with the kids and impressed with their skills. I can't tell you how proud I was of everyone, the boys, the coaches, the baseball players, and our program. It was great to see everyone having a good time and taking full advantage of the opportunities presented to them. Coach Baldea of the U of C ended the day by reminding the children that anything is possible. You can earn your way into any school by working hard, making sure you stay on top of your academics, and believing. |
|
|
|
|
<< Start < Prev 1 2 3 Next > End >>
|
|
Page 1 of 3 |
