Donated soccer gear brings smiles across the miles

The way Caryn Graham sees it, a little thing can have a big impact.

Every year, the Huntsville Soccer Club donates used jerseys to soccer teams in need across the globe. The goods that are collected locally are sent to Chance to Play, a Canadian organization that assists in providing kids in developing countries with the used soccer equipment as well as life and soccer skills.

“My mom and I sorted through all the apparel and this year we had 1,300 donations of shorts, jerseys, shoes, soccer cleats, medals and trophies,” said Graham, who’s in her third summer as the club’s program coordinator.

And it was when she was searching Chance to Play on Facebook that she came across a photo that made her look a little closer.

I saw our soccer jerseys on Ugandan kids. It was incredible to see what our community had done and seeing how happy the kids were.

Graham added that sometimes you don’t get to see the final result of the effort you put into a selfless endeavour, and so to see those children with big smiles on their faces sporting gear from Huntsville was instantly gratifying.

“We have so much in Canada,” she says. “It’s amazing how the little things we do can make [less fortunate] kids so happy.”

According to Graham, the Huntsville Soccer Club is still collecting gently used soccer gear. Items must be in good condition and washed and can be placed in a collection bucket that is currently set up at the south end of McCulley-Robertson Sports Complex. Everything from shorts, socks, and jerseys to deflated soccer balls and medals can be donated.

Chance to Play recently travelled to Uganda, Africa, to distribute the collected gear and run a soccer clinic for an estimated 60 kids. However, upon arriving the organization members were astounded to discover that 200 people had come out from three different countries to attend the clinic.

Don’t miss out on Doppler! Sign up for our free newsletter here.