SEARCH
Impossible is nothing
Posted in: Blog by Michael Pett on July 7, 2010
Okay, so I clearly haven’t been doing so well at writing a blog post each week. However, there’s been a lot going on here and hopefully you’ll forgive me. Please? I promise I’m not just saying that. We actually have been really busy with a bunch of exciting new developments. For example, last night I attended a fundraising gala for United FC and had the privilege of announcing on behalf of Empowerment Squared that we’d be adopting the team in September.
For those who haven’t heard of United FC, it’s a youth soccer team made up of refugees and newcomers from 11 different countries. The team was started in 2007 by our Executive Director, Leo Johnson, as an informal after-school program to help keep a bunch of teenage boys out of trouble. And somewhere over the past three years, the team has become a huge success–both on and off the soccer pitch.
They are the epitome of a true underdog story. A testament that no mountain is too high and an example that impossible is really nothing. They have overcome barriers that many of us can’t even imagine–refugee camps, gang wars, civil unrest. And yet despite everything, they have become winners.
Off the pitch, these young men have adjusted to a new culture, a new country and new home. On the pitch, they’ve become a force to be reckoned with and have earned themselves an invitation to the Arsenal International Soccer Festival.
I couldn’t be more proud of these young men for what they have achieved or more excited for Empowerment Squared to provide this opportunity to more Hamilton youth come September. We plan to not only provide the team with some much needed structure and sustainability, but we also hope to expand the program to include more teams and other sports.
However, we can’t do it alone. We need volunteer coaches. We need funding. Pardon the cliché, but frankly, we need you. In the next few weeks, we’ll be posting information about how you can volunteer with the program. However, in the meantime you can also help by making a donation. It’s easy. Just click here and complete the secure form. Please make sure to select United FC as the project you would like your gift to support.
So what do you say?
Comments
Check out the news feature on United FC and Goalkeeper Manuel Gonzalez by CBC National Television! http://ow.ly/2bwgd
Comment by Michael Pett on July 14, 2010 at 2:42 pm