Charity Fundraiser with the Aggies!

See Event Here

We are very happy to announce a special charity fundraiser featuring members of the WAC Champion Utah State Aggies Women's Soccer Team!  Click the link above for more details but the key points are as follows:

When: Thursday, December 6th from 7:00-8:30PM

Where: Riter Mansion, 168 N 100 E, Logan, Utah

What: A fireside chat with members of the Aggies discussing soccer, being your best, and doing good in the world.

Food is included and the event will be lots of fun.  All proceeds from the event go to supporting Save-A-Thon For Africa.

Check it out and register below.

See Event Here

Shots

So, we are one month away from our departure to Ghana and the girls went to get their shots today.  Watch this video and pass along.

Current Project--Christmas in Ghana

http://www.razoo.com/story/Save-A-Thon-For-Africa

On my last trip to Ghana in March I met a wonderful young boy in one of the many villages we visited. Our team members were more prepared than I in bringing gifts to distribute to the children there.  We had a few soccer balls to give out but this young boy, Borges, was a little too young and perhaps too polite to get one as the older kids jockeyed for position to get a ball.  After missing out on getting a new ball he politely approached me and asked if I would give him a soccer ball.  I didn't have any to give.  But there was something about the goodness in his face that made me promise him that I would come back and bring soccer balls for him and all the children in the village.  I really had no idea what I was saying at the time and didn't realize how much effort it would take to keep that promise.

Well a promise is a promise and my 12 year-old soccer player, Kylie, has helped me keep it.  Through her efforts as a goalie this year she has been raising money to help fund this trip and help these children.  She has raised $1,500 so far and these funds will be used to distribute over 100 soccer balls, school supplies for the girls, and a Christmas meal for all the children in two poor villages a few hours out of Accra, Ghana.

We need to raise another $4,000 or so to cover the airfare for Kylie and her older sister, Marissa.  I will be covering the other logistical expenses as best I can.

Will you please visit our fundraising website here and do what you can to support?  In Africa it takes so little to do so much.

Stay tuned for more updates as we move along this exciting journey to create a memorable and life-changing experience for all involved.

http://www.razoo.com/story/Save-A-Thon-For-Africa

Finished but NOT Satisfied

Well, I only accomplished one of my goals today in the half marathon: FINISHING!

I ran a 2:05 which is about 2 minutes slower than my personal best and 5 minutes behind my elusive goal to break 2 hours!  I will say that in 3 half marathons in 3 years I am pretty consistent: 2:03, 2:08, 2:05.  For whatever that's worth.  I would like to be a little inconsistent now if that means faster. ;-)

Here is a link to my official results.

http://www.milliseconds.com/participants/detail/806885941

I have to tell you that I don't think I can sit around and wait another year to break two hours so, despite needing to relax for about a week, I think I am going to seek another half in the next month and give it a better shot.

Thanks to everyone who supported me.  We raised over $500 for Bridges To America for our current projects.  If you haven't already donated please take a minute to consider doing so.  Seriously, even $10 helps our cause and you get a tax deduction.  Not sure how anyone loses with that deal!

Stay tuned...

Mika and I before the race in 49 degree morning weather!

After--Happy to be done and a little warmer.

Run for the Money

I am doing it again this year.  Top Of Utah Half Marathon on Saturday, August 25th.

Last year I ran a marathon to raise money for Bridges to America, this year I am "only" doing a half marathon.  Or as I like to call it: 13.1 miles.  It just so happens to be half of a marathon but that doesn't make it any shorter.


I do this because I do enjoy the challenge but more importantly I want you to know as a potential donor that I don't ever take a donation lightly and I am willing to work hard to earn it.  As you can see from the links to the right we have three fundraisers going on and I really need your support this year.  Pick your favorite cause or just give what you can to the general fund and we will route the funds to the cause that needs the most help.

This year, I have three goals for my run.

1.  Finish
2.  Set a Personal Best (faster than 2:03:02)
3.  Break the 2 hour mark

Accordingly, in order to make your donation interesting you can donate in several ways.

1.  A per finished mile pledge.  (e.g. $1/mile for each mile finished = $13. $5/mile = $65, etc.)
2.  A bonus if I make a PR.  Or nothing if I don't.
3.  A speed bonus if I break the elusive 2-hour mark.

For the record I am down in weight to 205 pounds but I only did 12 miles last night in around 2:15.  Granted it was 85+ degrees outside and I was carrying my own water but lots will have to go right for me next Saturday to break 2 hours.  Still going to try hard.  Feel free to challenge me with a bonus pledge.

Thank you so much for helping us and supporting the good things we are trying to do.

Even if you can't or choose not to help with a donation will you at least share the effort on Facebook or Twitter, or whatever?

Day 6-7: New Life

Final photo from the hotel in Yeji before departing.

The next morning we were all anxious to pack up and make the long journey back to Accra where these four rescued children could start their new lives.  I must say however, that things that seemed so unpleasant just two days before at the hotel now felt sort of comfortable compared with our stay in the village.  I wondered how the kids felt as we whisked them back to the big city of Accra.  Certainly things would be more pleasant and modern but still foreign and unfamiliar to them.

Arriving at the Center after our 9 hour drive through the Ghana countryside.

The caretaker escorting the kids to their new home.

Rice and chicken like this is a real rarity for these kids.  So is a spoon and bowl.

Saying good night before parting for our hotel.

The next day, our last day in Ghana, we went to the Center where the kids has been cleaned-up, haircuts and all, given fresh clothes, and ready to begin the re-integration process.  This part of the process is critical to ensuring that the chances of these kids being re-trafficked remains low.  The idea is to help them gain their own sense of self-confidence and worth so that they can eventually stand up for themselves and be valued by their families.  The process is gradual but knowledge really is power and it consists of educating them and helping them see that they can have a bright future, despite having lost some crucial years of childhood as a trafficked child.

Eric teaching the kids a song on their first day of school.

Mika with Kwojo who drew this picture and worked on writing his name.

At the Center there was mostly laughter and smiles, sprinkled in with a few tears as the kids adjusted to all of this huge change in their lives.  I am sure they were wondering if this was real and, if so,  how long it would last.  Pondering what their future would look like and missing their families and friends from the village.

One thing I know for sure is that because of the rescue mission these kids are on a different path that includes education, opportunity, self-esteem, and a fighting chance to change their world and hopefully the one around them.

The kids dressed in their traditional clothes.  Love those smiles!

Day 5--Almost Done

I was glad to get up on this morning and get the day started.  Did I mention how miserable the night was??!!

We fixed a little breakfast--a smattering of oatmeal, protein bars, ramen, and lukewarm water!--and then headed to the boat to search for more trafficked children.  Unfortunately, they were everywhere.  I was amazed at how dismal the feeling was on the lake.  There was this sort of gray haze of heat on this vast body of water dotted by kids with no future.  The hopelessness was palpable and I worked hard to not let it engulf me.  As a team we fought through it and followed Eric's lead and positive attitude of service. 


But as we approached boat after boat of these young kids forced to be working when they should be in school--preparing for a better future-- the impact of our mission now and in the future hit me in a profound way.  I wish that you, dear reader, could have been there with me or that, at least, that my writing could truly help you comprehend what we saw and felt.  It changed my life and it would change yours too.



Eric was his usual upbeat self and I continued to be amazed at his ability to connect with these kids--most afraid to even talk to him because of what their master would do if they got caught them even talking.  These two boys to the left didn't say one word to us despite 10 minutes of trying.  No change in facial expression either that even acknowledged our presence.  This encounter made me sad as I thought about their life--day in day out the same difficult and boring work.  What a waste!

 This little boy in the orange sweater--a sign of how little these people have to be wearing a sweater in this heat!--actually lived in the village where we stayed the night before.  Eric talked with the master (green shirt) on the water and agreed to discuss his release back at the village later.  Subsequent discussions with him and his wife yielded nothing and it was very frustrating to see this little boy remain stuck in a losing situation.  The stubbornness of perverse tradition and a selfish view of the world was very evident.  Heartbreaking!  We continue to hope that this boy, like others we met on our trip will eventually be released through the continual efforts of Eric and those who support him.


After a few hours on the lake and plenty of contact with trafficked children we headed back to the village to finalize the release of a few children, pack up, and prepare for the long journey back to Yeji.  My daughter and I both really began to feel the effects of the heat but we didn't have much choice but to keep hydrating with warm water, find some shade, limit activity and find a way to soldier on.  As the TV producer with us said to me:  "There is no secret strategy to making it through tough journeys like this.  You just do."

Managing smiles while fighting off heat exhaustion.

In addition to Kwojo (green Celtics shirt), we had to finalize the release of two other trafficked children: Michael (little guy on the right in front of man in red shirt) and Akepene (peach-colored dress in middle).  We gathered these two beautiful kids and headed back to the boat to head home. 






You can see we had lots of people there to see us off but we had one young lady who did something Eric had never seen before.  She rescued herself.  Nesty, the girl below with Eric, while no one was looking hopped in the boat and sat next to the three other children.  We finally noticed and then someone told Eric.  Eric doesn't just take kids away so he Eric talked with Nesty first and then talked with her parent and the chief in the village. 

The long story short is that Nesty is a feisty young lady who apparently saw that she had no future in this little village in the middle of nowhere.  She saw our departure as her chance for a new life and, to her credit, she took it.  The parent Eric spoke with said Nesty was trouble and that she could go with us.  My take on "trouble" is that she chose not to play by the rules of this life and wanted more.  She is a maverick, a game-changer.  This is one young lady to keep an eye on for sure.

Here are the four rescued children headed towards their new life.

Remember the boy on the boat with 5 grown men?  As discussed the day before, we stopped by his village on the way back to Yeji to negotiate his release.  A tribal council was held to discuss this boy's situation.  Things were going well and it even looked like the master might release him on the spot but two of the ten or so men in the council made some complaints about the idea and the master got scared and decided not to release him.  Total disappointment and it made me angry.

Eric took the young master aside as were leaving and worked on him away from the pressures of the tribe.  Eric said he was open to considering a release in the future and we can only hope that that day comes soon for this little guy.

We got back to Yeji later that day and we were all amazed at how nice our run-down hotel now seemed.  We showered, ate food, found safe cans of cold soda to drink at the local market and rejoiced in the success of our mission and that we were safely headed home.

The hardest part of our trip was now complete.  I know I did some complaining in my report but I wanted to give you the good, the bad, and the raw reality of what we experienced.  As I reflect now I realize that we made it through this mission by focusing on the positive--we found the good in the bad, and the hope in the hopeless.  I am ever grateful to the African people I met on this trip for they are tremendous examples of courage, grit, and hope as they live in a part of the world that takes a lot out of you.  But, somehow, they always seemed to have something left to make it through each day with a smile on their face.