Donations

In the summer of 2008 I went to the Ivory Coast to put on a basketball coaching clinic. Rarely have I been treated so kind. They have one indoor arena there. It has been condemned so they can not use it. Although they have a number of out door courts they have what I would call two pavilions. Two courts with large openings for breeze with roofs on. Like many places in Africa the people can not afford to buy things and so I asked my connections with FIBA (Federations of International Basketball Associations)in the Ivory Coast what they needed more money or basketballls? They said basketballs. So I set out to raise 1000 basketballs for the Ivory Coast. With the help of many students,parents, coaches, and schools, I accumulated 800 basketballs. I sent over 200 of them. The coast was about ten dollars a ball. Thank goodness people had donated about $2000.00 dollars.


That left me with 600 basketballs in my basement. I talk to many people that had helped me put together all of these basketballs and they help me to decide I would give them to local charities. Then the Athletes in Action out of Dayton, Ohio contacted me and said they would take them with them to Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda. I just had to get them to Dayton. I made plans only for the cost to rise to about $1300.00 dollars to get them there. I couldn't afford that out of my own pocket, so feeling like a failure again I didn't take them.


Saturday I took fifty balls to the first charity. They had always worked very hard for the local kids and they were very happy to recieve them. It is my intention to donate the balls to the boys and girls club, the YMCA, and the Catholic Charities to name a few.


As I have worked through all of this I feel like I have failed. I know I have helped local charities and will help more local charities but I did not accomplish what I set out to do. I have talked to my connections in the Ivory Coast and they understand, yet I still feel I let them down.