One Way Every Day: March 10

Thursday, March 10, 2011

March 10 - Sports Gift

There are 2.2 billion children in the world, 1billion live in poverty. Poverty encompasses all people who are deprived of basic human needs due to economic and social factors. Although poverty is defined differently around the world, these basic human needs include clean water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing, and shelter. The effects of poverty lead to health issues, violence, drug use, and increased negative performance in school. Children born into poverty have a daunting challenge to lift themselves out of poverty.

Sports Gift believes that sports can be a powerful influence to lift these children out of poverty. Sports Gift is focused on providing sports to impoverished and disadvantaged children throughout the world and promoting sports related community service among our youth. They work to improve the lives and give hope to impoverished and disadvantaged children through a variety of programs designed to engage these children in organized sports and education through sports. Sports promote health and exercise, provide important life skills in such things as goal setting, hard work, discipline, fair play and teamwork and give us a safe arena to experience the thrills and challenges of competition. Unfortunately, many children in poverty stricken areas will never have the opportunity to enjoy sports without the support of Sports Gift.

Sports Gift refurbishes the sports equipment donated and then distributes it to underprivileged children and organizations that serve these children. Sports Gift has collected over 170,000 items of sports equipment for distribution to deserving children all over the world including communities in the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and Pacific, Eastern and Central Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. A typical donation location is an orphanage in a third world country such as Uganda where the children have never owned a sports ball or uniform. The stories of these children are truly amazing, both in terms of the challenges and hardships these children must overcome and the immense joy and appreciation they experience upon receiving the gift of sports.

Get Involved:

Donate to Sports Gift.

Other ways to give to Sports Gift.

Organize an equipment collection drive to recycle sports equipment in your community.