Big thanks to everyone who participated in the Afghanistan Soccer Ball Project that we did over the summer. Great thanks to Doug Cook and all the Rotarians of the Collegeville Rotary Club who boxed and shipped the balls to Helmand Province for distribution to local Afghan kids. Large packages tend to miss their destination (usually because they are stolen) so we appreciate all of your hard work in sending the balls in a series of smaller parcels to be sure they made it to their destination.
Big thanks also to Steve Roper and U.K. Elite Soccer Training Camps (www.ukelite.com) for donating the soccer balls that are now in the hands of local Afghan kids who received them as a gesture of good will from a unit of the U.S. Marines.
And a special thanks to Lieutenant Corporal Billy Holdsworth and his unit of Marines who distributed the balls. The KICKS Project is a non-partisian, secular organization that does not have an opinion nor comment on issues of political or religious nature. However, no matter what your views are on the war we must stop and give thanks this holiday season to our troops who risk their lives on a daily basis in order to retain our freedoms and secure the safety of our citizens. Thank you LtCpl Holdsworth and all of the other men & women serving in the armed forces today, tomorrow and yesterday. Your sacrifice is well appreciated.
Happy Holidays to everyone!
The KICKS Project
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Kicks Lesson #1 - Cultural Experience
As Ramadan came to a close earlier this month, I partook in an experience with a friend that I will never forget. I joined an old high-school buddy, Shuaib, in a “sawn”, the tradition of fasting during daylight hours during Ramadan, and despite all prior expectations I found the lesson that I learned was less a religious occurrence than it was a cultural one. It was like stepping into another culture ever so briefly, and I found it to be incredibly fulfilling.
Shuaib invited me to join his family for “sahur”, the traditional Islamic breakfast before daybreak during Ramadan. I woke at 3:30, got showered and shaved, and arrived at his house to break bread at 4:30 with his parents, who are of Pakistani origin. Despite having never met them before, they invited me into their home to share in one of their most cherished and personal rituals and were as gracious and welcoming as anyone I’ve met.
Shuaib’s father spoke to me about the meaning of Ramadan, and why the fast was important to their beliefs. He spoke of sacrifice not only of body, but also of mind. He spoke of empathy and understanding. He spoke of his fellow countrymen in Pakistan suffering from a flood worse than the Tsunami in Southeast Asia and the earthquake in Turkey combined. He spoke of compassion for our fellow man, no matter their disposition, in all walks of life, religion, culture and continent- it was a wonderful way to start the day.
During sahur Shuaib’s father said something that really stuck with me. “Fasting helps one to experience how a hungry person feels and what it is like to have an empty stomach. But fasting isn’t just about feeling hungry… it is also about abstaining from pleasures of all the senses and teaches one to share in the sufferings of the less fortunate.”
Muslims believe that fasting leads one to appreciate the bounties beset upon us all, which can so easily be taken for granted until they are gone. I thought it was a great lesson and wondered why everyone didn’t share in such a wonderful tradition. ‘What if everyone who lives in the privileged world took part in this gracious refrain of basic need every once in a while’, I imagined. ‘It would remind us of all that we have- and all those who have not.’
We finished up breakfast at around 5:00, as daybreak comes at 5:10 and there is no food or water permitted “from when the first ribbon of white in the sky to the last”, which meant this was going to be a very long day.
After breakfast I joined Shuaib and his father at the local mosque (across the street from my old middle school) for “fajr” (the first of the 5 daily prayers). I was invited to participate but opted rather to sit in the back and observe, as this was my first time in a mosque during prayer time.
By the time I left the mosque, the sun was coming up and I realized that it was too late for me to brush my teeth without cheating- and since I promised to take part in Sawn, I decided that I had better do it correctly. So, for the first time in my adult life I didn’t brush my teeth after breakfast. I was craving a piece of gum like a dog craves a hydrant, but I was so tired I just decided to go back to bed for an hour instead.
The day wasn’t so bad after all, once I got the idea of food out of my head it really wasn’t all that bad- the no water was actually the worst part. And I was faced with temptation… I found a rogue piece of gum in my pocket a couple hours later that seemed to call out to me, and my father (unexpectedly) invited me to play 9 holes of golf that afternoon. Before we even tee’d off he sat a lush iced tea in the cart cup holder, dripping with sweat and cold relief. “Dad, I can’t have that – remember? I’m fasting? What are you doing to me?” “Well, you better stay hydrated if you’re gonna fast all day…”. I don’t think he got it. Needless to say I didn’t shoot my best round of golf, but I did resist all temptations and that felt better than a hole in one.
That evening, my girlfriend and I joined The Awan’s for “iftar”, the evening meal when Muslims break their fast following “maghrib” (sunset). We began the meal with a date, and followed with “isha”, the last of the five daily prayers. I was again invited to participate in prayers and this time decided to give it a shot. Not because I felt a conversion coming on, rather after this intense day of sawn I felt that I was a part of this community, if only for a day.
Everyone I met was so very gracious and kind, each quite impressed (overly so, perhaps- as they do this every single day for a month, and tomorrow I would be back to ice-cream and mid-day snacks) with my determination to participate in sawn. Shuaib’s father kept insisting that I eat as soon as food was served, offering me juice and dates as soon as they became available. It was something my own father would have done for his guest. And all at once I realized what I suppose I have known all along: everybody in the world is so different and so similar that perhaps it makes perfect sense to be so confused by it all.
How can people of a different religion… or race or culture or color or whatever, be so similar to one another? We all look so distinct, we all dress so differently - but that’s just it. Everything that we initially judge about a person is based on looks, and looks can be deceiving. The shell is just a flavor, like different salads have different dressings. But no matter what the dressing; ceasar, ranch, balsamic, hell the French use butter … at the end of the day is only just that: a dressing. The salad underneath is all the same. What a boring restaurant we would inhabit if there were only one kind of salad dressing in the whole world. What a boring meal. It’d ruin the whole first course! The entire meal would be…. wait… hang on a second… did I just write a full paragraph on salad dressing? Man, I really need a snack – the fast was great and all, but you’ll excuse me if I go grab a Primo’s with a side salad, won’t you. And this time, I think I’ll order something I’ve never had before – after all, difference is what makes life interesting, wouldn’t you say?
Shuaib invited me to join his family for “sahur”, the traditional Islamic breakfast before daybreak during Ramadan. I woke at 3:30, got showered and shaved, and arrived at his house to break bread at 4:30 with his parents, who are of Pakistani origin. Despite having never met them before, they invited me into their home to share in one of their most cherished and personal rituals and were as gracious and welcoming as anyone I’ve met.
Shuaib’s father spoke to me about the meaning of Ramadan, and why the fast was important to their beliefs. He spoke of sacrifice not only of body, but also of mind. He spoke of empathy and understanding. He spoke of his fellow countrymen in Pakistan suffering from a flood worse than the Tsunami in Southeast Asia and the earthquake in Turkey combined. He spoke of compassion for our fellow man, no matter their disposition, in all walks of life, religion, culture and continent- it was a wonderful way to start the day.
During sahur Shuaib’s father said something that really stuck with me. “Fasting helps one to experience how a hungry person feels and what it is like to have an empty stomach. But fasting isn’t just about feeling hungry… it is also about abstaining from pleasures of all the senses and teaches one to share in the sufferings of the less fortunate.”
Muslims believe that fasting leads one to appreciate the bounties beset upon us all, which can so easily be taken for granted until they are gone. I thought it was a great lesson and wondered why everyone didn’t share in such a wonderful tradition. ‘What if everyone who lives in the privileged world took part in this gracious refrain of basic need every once in a while’, I imagined. ‘It would remind us of all that we have- and all those who have not.’
We finished up breakfast at around 5:00, as daybreak comes at 5:10 and there is no food or water permitted “from when the first ribbon of white in the sky to the last”, which meant this was going to be a very long day.
After breakfast I joined Shuaib and his father at the local mosque (across the street from my old middle school) for “fajr” (the first of the 5 daily prayers). I was invited to participate but opted rather to sit in the back and observe, as this was my first time in a mosque during prayer time.
By the time I left the mosque, the sun was coming up and I realized that it was too late for me to brush my teeth without cheating- and since I promised to take part in Sawn, I decided that I had better do it correctly. So, for the first time in my adult life I didn’t brush my teeth after breakfast. I was craving a piece of gum like a dog craves a hydrant, but I was so tired I just decided to go back to bed for an hour instead.
The day wasn’t so bad after all, once I got the idea of food out of my head it really wasn’t all that bad- the no water was actually the worst part. And I was faced with temptation… I found a rogue piece of gum in my pocket a couple hours later that seemed to call out to me, and my father (unexpectedly) invited me to play 9 holes of golf that afternoon. Before we even tee’d off he sat a lush iced tea in the cart cup holder, dripping with sweat and cold relief. “Dad, I can’t have that – remember? I’m fasting? What are you doing to me?” “Well, you better stay hydrated if you’re gonna fast all day…”. I don’t think he got it. Needless to say I didn’t shoot my best round of golf, but I did resist all temptations and that felt better than a hole in one.
That evening, my girlfriend and I joined The Awan’s for “iftar”, the evening meal when Muslims break their fast following “maghrib” (sunset). We began the meal with a date, and followed with “isha”, the last of the five daily prayers. I was again invited to participate in prayers and this time decided to give it a shot. Not because I felt a conversion coming on, rather after this intense day of sawn I felt that I was a part of this community, if only for a day.
Everyone I met was so very gracious and kind, each quite impressed (overly so, perhaps- as they do this every single day for a month, and tomorrow I would be back to ice-cream and mid-day snacks) with my determination to participate in sawn. Shuaib’s father kept insisting that I eat as soon as food was served, offering me juice and dates as soon as they became available. It was something my own father would have done for his guest. And all at once I realized what I suppose I have known all along: everybody in the world is so different and so similar that perhaps it makes perfect sense to be so confused by it all.
How can people of a different religion… or race or culture or color or whatever, be so similar to one another? We all look so distinct, we all dress so differently - but that’s just it. Everything that we initially judge about a person is based on looks, and looks can be deceiving. The shell is just a flavor, like different salads have different dressings. But no matter what the dressing; ceasar, ranch, balsamic, hell the French use butter … at the end of the day is only just that: a dressing. The salad underneath is all the same. What a boring restaurant we would inhabit if there were only one kind of salad dressing in the whole world. What a boring meal. It’d ruin the whole first course! The entire meal would be…. wait… hang on a second… did I just write a full paragraph on salad dressing? Man, I really need a snack – the fast was great and all, but you’ll excuse me if I go grab a Primo’s with a side salad, won’t you. And this time, I think I’ll order something I’ve never had before – after all, difference is what makes life interesting, wouldn’t you say?
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Kicks Challenge #3 – Become Kicks Lesson #1
Okay, so I’m going to alter the way in which I look at these things, and view from a different paradigm. Instead of titling these entries “challenges”, and directing them towards you, the audience, I’ll take them rather as “lessons” and direct them inward. So, as it is to be known henceforth, and forever shall remain the way as if carved in stone by Moses himself, from now on the ‘Kicks Challenges’ will forever be known as ‘Kicks Lessons’ (until I change my mind.)
Friday, September 3, 2010
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
KICKS Fundraiser Draws Media/Pro Soccer: Sanaldo #25
What a day for a Fundraiser! Thanks to the efforts of a dedicated group of volunteers, the First Annual KICKS Fundraiser this Sunday was a huge success! The event drew media attention from Channel 6, Action News and we even landed a professional soccer player from The Philadelphia Kixx, #25 Sanaldo (Goalie) who took shots on the dunk tank, played skills competitions with the kids and gave out prizes. Big thanks to The Philadelphia Kixx, and especially to Sanaldo for dedicating time for our fundraiser. Good luck this year, Sanaldo!
Also big thanks to our Platinum Sponsors of the event: NARS- North American Risk Services (www.narisk.com) and G&G Underwriters (www.GGund.com) for making this event possible.
Of course, none of this would have been possible without the help of our volunteer staff, who did everything from administer games, collect donations, face painting, filming, organizing and especially- dunking. Great thanks guys and girls!
I’ve uploaded some photos below and will have another batch up tomorrow that really capture the event. Thanks to all who participated, attended, donated and assisted in making this First Annual Fundraiser possible. We look forward to reaching our goal of $50,000 for next years’ KICKS Project.
Best Wishes!
KICKS
Also big thanks to our Platinum Sponsors of the event: NARS- North American Risk Services (www.narisk.com) and G&G Underwriters (www.GGund.com) for making this event possible.
Of course, none of this would have been possible without the help of our volunteer staff, who did everything from administer games, collect donations, face painting, filming, organizing and especially- dunking. Great thanks guys and girls!
I’ve uploaded some photos below and will have another batch up tomorrow that really capture the event. Thanks to all who participated, attended, donated and assisted in making this First Annual Fundraiser possible. We look forward to reaching our goal of $50,000 for next years’ KICKS Project.
Best Wishes!
KICKS
Thursday, August 12, 2010
We Want You...To Sponsor The Kicks Fundraiser!
Do you know anyone who might be interested in sponsoring the Kicks Project Fundraiser Extravaganza?!?
Sponsorship can be levied by an individual or a corporation and lends a great opportunity for positive advertising and corporate community involvement for your business!
Studies show that the best form of advertising is through word of mouth and positive corporate involvement in the community. For a small donation you could transform your business from just one among many to a compassionate business of the community committed to supporting local involvement. So what are you waiting for?!
Sponsorship Levels range from $50- $1,000 and come with benefits such as:
Banners and flags with your business information and logo displayed as event sponsors, Opening and closing ceremony announcement of your business as a contributor, opportunities to mingle with press and have your company mentioned in a positive community event news piece, logo and company name imprint on Kicks t-shirts, banners and event stations, an advertising table at the event entrance where you can display your company’s information alongside kicks brochures, and much more.
Contact Mike at: TheKicksProject@gmail.com to learn more.
Act soon! Event is only 2 weeks away: Aug 29th (Sunday) from 10am – 4pm
See forms posted below for details on sponsorship!
Sponsorship can be levied by an individual or a corporation and lends a great opportunity for positive advertising and corporate community involvement for your business!
Studies show that the best form of advertising is through word of mouth and positive corporate involvement in the community. For a small donation you could transform your business from just one among many to a compassionate business of the community committed to supporting local involvement. So what are you waiting for?!
Sponsorship Levels range from $50- $1,000 and come with benefits such as:
Banners and flags with your business information and logo displayed as event sponsors, Opening and closing ceremony announcement of your business as a contributor, opportunities to mingle with press and have your company mentioned in a positive community event news piece, logo and company name imprint on Kicks t-shirts, banners and event stations, an advertising table at the event entrance where you can display your company’s information alongside kicks brochures, and much more.
Contact Mike at: TheKicksProject@gmail.com to learn more.
Act soon! Event is only 2 weeks away: Aug 29th (Sunday) from 10am – 4pm
See forms posted below for details on sponsorship!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Kicks Fundraiser Coming Together!
Don't forget to reserve your tickets today for the Kicks Fundraiser (Sunday, Aug 29th 10-4pm)
Contact Mike at: TheKicksProject@gmail.com
{Pictured Above: one of the many games for the event- "The Accuracy Kick" Prizes awarded}
Monday, August 2, 2010
Kicks Project Fundraiser: Sunday, August 29th, 2010
The first annual Kicks Fundraiser will be held in Core Creek Park on Sunday, August 29th from 10-4pm to support future Kicks Projects. You can purchase tickets in person, by check, or from the website at www.TheKicksProject.org.
Tickets are only $15 and include 10 gaming tickets, automatic raffle entry, free face painting and one free child (under 6).
Our goal is to raise $50,000 to go towards our next mission kicking a soccer ball 500 kilometers around Southern Africa, funding 10 dilapidated orphanages along the way.
Events include: Dunk Tank, Bouncy Castle, Super-Sized Soccer Bowling, Soccer Accuracy Kicks, Raffles, Soccer games & contests for kids of all ages. Prizes will be awarded.
All net proceeds fund the distribution of school supplies, life-essentials and educational interaction in dilapidated orphanages & schools around the world for future Kicks Projects.
Tickets are limited so please act fast to secure your ticket in support of The Kicks Project!
Monday, July 12, 2010
Kicks Challenge #2: Do something out of your comfort zone
Yesterday morning I put my shoes on backwards by accident and started to walk with my left shoe on my right and vice versa. I thought about switching them back but decided instead to go with the flow and see what it’d be like to go the whole day with my shoes on the wrong foot.
I walked to the coffee shop in the morning and must have passed a dozen people on the way. To my amazement not a single person commented or noticed. For lunch I walked to Primo’s for a hoagie and spoke to a number of people in the shop, just hoping one of them would look down and question me. Again, nobody noticed that I had my shoes on backwards.
I realized that sometimes when you walk in a different shoe people don’t always notice. It may be uncomfortable to walk in another shoe, it may look silly and feel strange, but when you do things the same way every day without ever wondering how it feels in another shoe, you sometimes forget that you even have feet. But when you do switch it up you realize that not only do you have feet, but without them things would be pretty uncomfortable.
So, the second Kicks challenge is to step outside of your comfort zone and realize how important the things are in life that we sometimes take for granted. For some that step might be literal, as in literally walking around in backwards shoes. For others it may be using your left hand all day if your right is dominant.
It doesn’t really matter what you do so long as in stepping outside of your comfort zone you will highlight something that perhaps you forgot was there.
As always, comments and photos are welcome- if you have a story of interest, please sign in to Blogger.com and create an account so you follow this blog and contribute your own stories.
Thanks for being a part of the Kicks Community!
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Afghanistan Soccer Ball Project a Success!
The Afghanistan Soccer Ball give was a huge success, and what an appropriate Independence Day project! The Kicks Project donated a number of soccer balls to Lieutenant Corporal Billy Holdsworth stationed in Helmand Province to distribute to local Afghan kids with the purpose of creating trust and good-will. We started the project about 2 months ago, but packages move slowly in Afghanistan and we had to break the boxes down to manageable sizes so that they get to their destination (large packages are often stolen at the post office or in transition) and with the help of the Rotary Club of Collegeville, we were able to successfully ship 10 packages of soccerballs to LtCpl Holdsworth’s unit.
LtCpl Billy Holdsworth has just returned home from his tour of duty and we are happy to have him state-side. He will be giving a presentation to the Rotary Club next week so we’ll be sure to post photos from the event.
Happy Independence Day everyone!
LtCpl Billy Holdsworth has just returned home from his tour of duty and we are happy to have him state-side. He will be giving a presentation to the Rotary Club next week so we’ll be sure to post photos from the event.
Happy Independence Day everyone!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Sometimes The Challenge is Reading The Challenge...
...okay, so the challenge has had mixed results and I'm not really sure if the message I intended to get across to my 4-year-old audience really got through, but if I've learned one thing from kids it's that sometimes the lesson that they learn ends up being better than the one you thought you taught.
A recent text message from his mommy: "Shawn has been telling everyone about how we slept outside of home. And about the frog we caught. And peeing in the bush cause we couldn't (weren't allowed to) go in the house... and brushing his teeth outside the tent... "
I know, I know.. it wasn't supposed to be a camping trip, it was supposed to be a learning experience- but sometimes the best class doesn't take place in a room. Sometimes the best tool a teacher has is not chalk, rather engagement. I've seen it in over and over again during Kicks Projects... on futbol pitches in South America, on converted cow pastures in East Africa- it's what Kicks is all about: using soccer to teach life lessons. I've just learned tonight, via text from a diligent mommy, that somehow this whole Kicks Challenge did have an impact on one little boy- maybe it wasn't exactly the lesson that we were aiming for, but the door is open- maybe this first Kicks Challenge was a success after all. Maybe the challenge wasn't really the lesson- but the reading of the lesson. After all, sometimes just getting their attention is a great success for a teacher.
A recent text message from his mommy: "Shawn has been telling everyone about how we slept outside of home. And about the frog we caught. And peeing in the bush cause we couldn't (weren't allowed to) go in the house... and brushing his teeth outside the tent... "
I know, I know.. it wasn't supposed to be a camping trip, it was supposed to be a learning experience- but sometimes the best class doesn't take place in a room. Sometimes the best tool a teacher has is not chalk, rather engagement. I've seen it in over and over again during Kicks Projects... on futbol pitches in South America, on converted cow pastures in East Africa- it's what Kicks is all about: using soccer to teach life lessons. I've just learned tonight, via text from a diligent mommy, that somehow this whole Kicks Challenge did have an impact on one little boy- maybe it wasn't exactly the lesson that we were aiming for, but the door is open- maybe this first Kicks Challenge was a success after all. Maybe the challenge wasn't really the lesson- but the reading of the lesson. After all, sometimes just getting their attention is a great success for a teacher.
Kicks Challenge #1 -How it went
Well, we took on the first Kicks Challenge with gusto, but it turned out to go a bit differently than we’d envisioned. This is a learning process and I’m not sure if the whole idea of a “Kicks Challenge” is misguided, or if the expectation that people will actually try them along with us is unreasonable, but it is worth trying in order to have a little fun and incorporate a good lesson for a child with an outside-of-the-box leaning experience.
I wasn’t sure if Shawn, my girlfriend’s 4-year-old son, was old enough to understand the concept of ‘being without home’ and frankly wasn’t sure if it was even an appropriate subject to approach with such a young person. This challenge was really designed more for kids 10 years old and up who are able to grasp the concept and become motivated to get involved in a community project.
So, we approached the subject delicately and didn’t make the lesson too intense. The point of this was not to be scary or uncomfortable or even mimicking a homeless way of life- it was really just an excuse to engage kids in an environment free of distraction. A way to separate your family from the television and the ipod, from work and videogames and computer/technology to spend quality time as a family talking about all that you have to be thankful for and come up with ideas for getting involved in helping your community.
I brought along activities and books and photos and facts, but as the night drew on that turned out not to be the focus. Instead we talked about what makes a house a home (the house or the people inside the house) and what sorts of dangers could cause someone to become homeless (storms, playing with matches). It was a good learning experience for everyone involved and certainly made us all appreciate that we had a home to retreat to the next night.
A few of you emailed me and expressed some questions as to the point of all this. “How is sleeping outside for one night supposed to help anyone?” someone wrote, “it’s not even like you’re sleeping on the streets, certainly not anything like what a homeless person actually experiences.”
This is true, on both accounts. I understand your questions of legitimacy, and truly appreciate the feedback. In order to understand the experiment, we need to first step outside of it and understand its purpose. The point is not to make your child feel what it is like to be homeless, that’s impossible to do and would be counter productive. Nor is the point to scare him or make him suffer in any way, on the contrary this was a fun and exciting event that he will no doubt remember with positive recollection when he grows up. The purpose was to create an opportunity to talk with loved ones without the distraction of the home.
It created the setting for a distraction free environment to talk about something that isn’t taught in schools: community involvement. You can go to school to be a scientist or a mathematician, or an engineer or a doctor or a lawyer; hell you can even go to school to become a basketball player- but nowhere in the curriculum is there reference to community involvement and youth leadership.
What we are trying to do with these Kicks Challenges is create a lesson with a fun ‘field trip’, or ‘challenge’ or ‘dare’ or whatever, to get kids excited about getting involved in the community and become leaders of change. It’s the same thing we do on Kicks Projects in other countries except instead of issuing a “Challenge”, we use a soccer ball.
I hope that you all found this Kicks Challenge worthwhile, even if participation was vicarious. Any and all feedback is welcome; please help us to make these challenges as effective as possible.
Thanks for participating and be sure to check in on July 1st for next month’s challenge!
I wasn’t sure if Shawn, my girlfriend’s 4-year-old son, was old enough to understand the concept of ‘being without home’ and frankly wasn’t sure if it was even an appropriate subject to approach with such a young person. This challenge was really designed more for kids 10 years old and up who are able to grasp the concept and become motivated to get involved in a community project.
So, we approached the subject delicately and didn’t make the lesson too intense. The point of this was not to be scary or uncomfortable or even mimicking a homeless way of life- it was really just an excuse to engage kids in an environment free of distraction. A way to separate your family from the television and the ipod, from work and videogames and computer/technology to spend quality time as a family talking about all that you have to be thankful for and come up with ideas for getting involved in helping your community.
I brought along activities and books and photos and facts, but as the night drew on that turned out not to be the focus. Instead we talked about what makes a house a home (the house or the people inside the house) and what sorts of dangers could cause someone to become homeless (storms, playing with matches). It was a good learning experience for everyone involved and certainly made us all appreciate that we had a home to retreat to the next night.
A few of you emailed me and expressed some questions as to the point of all this. “How is sleeping outside for one night supposed to help anyone?” someone wrote, “it’s not even like you’re sleeping on the streets, certainly not anything like what a homeless person actually experiences.”
This is true, on both accounts. I understand your questions of legitimacy, and truly appreciate the feedback. In order to understand the experiment, we need to first step outside of it and understand its purpose. The point is not to make your child feel what it is like to be homeless, that’s impossible to do and would be counter productive. Nor is the point to scare him or make him suffer in any way, on the contrary this was a fun and exciting event that he will no doubt remember with positive recollection when he grows up. The purpose was to create an opportunity to talk with loved ones without the distraction of the home.
It created the setting for a distraction free environment to talk about something that isn’t taught in schools: community involvement. You can go to school to be a scientist or a mathematician, or an engineer or a doctor or a lawyer; hell you can even go to school to become a basketball player- but nowhere in the curriculum is there reference to community involvement and youth leadership.
What we are trying to do with these Kicks Challenges is create a lesson with a fun ‘field trip’, or ‘challenge’ or ‘dare’ or whatever, to get kids excited about getting involved in the community and become leaders of change. It’s the same thing we do on Kicks Projects in other countries except instead of issuing a “Challenge”, we use a soccer ball.
I hope that you all found this Kicks Challenge worthwhile, even if participation was vicarious. Any and all feedback is welcome; please help us to make these challenges as effective as possible.
Thanks for participating and be sure to check in on July 1st for next month’s challenge!
Friday, June 11, 2010
Suggestions for Kicks Challenge: Homelessness
Hello Kicks Community,
Just a reminder to everyone to make an attempt to take on the “Kicks Challenge #1: Homelessness”. This weekend will be beautiful here in Southeast PA, so it’s a great opportunity to take on this challenge on Friday or Saturday night.
I will be posting media from my experience this weekend and encourage you to do the same. It should be a fun way to create an important lesson for young ones. Go on, give it a shot- what do you have to lose?
If you can’t find a way to take on this first Kicks Challenge, I encourage you to still share this experience vicariously with your children by following our blog. Use this opportunity to talk about homelessness and it’s effects on the populations of the world and our very own country. Cite the examples of Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans, of how people who had their every possession swept away in a storm and have rebuilt in the face of adversity… while many remain homeless to this day, 5 years on. Or how there are 100 million homeless people in the world, nearly 1 million homeless in America (a quarter of which reside in NYC alone) or that there are 3,000 homeless in Philadelphia (streets & shelters). For more information: http://www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/ , http://www.endhomelessness.org/
You can also use the challenge to start a conversation with younger children about the dangers of playing with matches, for example. “If you play with matches or leave the stove on or jam things into electrical sockets, a fire could start and WE could lose our home… or worse. Be creative- the lesson is what you make of it.
The point of this Kicks Challenge is not to make anyone feel guilty or inadequate; it is to inform our youth of the inequities of the world and encourage them to get involved in their community. It is not meant to be dangerous or shameful or negative, rather the point is to inform through example - to encourage through empathy.
Take this opportunity to start a dialogue with your children/family/loved ones about issues important to you. The lessons and conversation can go anywhere you want; these Kicks Challenges mean to serve as merely the catalyst for starting such a dialogue and getting involved in the community.
Kicks will be doing a clothing drive in Philadelphia this summer, more details on that later. If you’re interested in volunteering or getting involved in this project please contact us at TheKicksProject@gmail.com.
Invariably, we at Kicks hope to create a sense of empowerment whenever we go into schools or interact with kids by teaching them how to become community leaders and bring attention to strife. Children often tell me these things sound “unfair” and they want to know how they can make a difference. We hope to encourage this sense of involvement and contribution at The Kicks Project.
While sleeping outside one night wont solve homelessness or directly help anyone who is homeless per say, hopefully it will impact children to the point of action, both now and in their lives moving forward. This is our mission with Kicks Challenge #1: Homelessness.
Thank you for reading. Feedback and criticism is welcome and encouraged.
Just a reminder to everyone to make an attempt to take on the “Kicks Challenge #1: Homelessness”. This weekend will be beautiful here in Southeast PA, so it’s a great opportunity to take on this challenge on Friday or Saturday night.
I will be posting media from my experience this weekend and encourage you to do the same. It should be a fun way to create an important lesson for young ones. Go on, give it a shot- what do you have to lose?
If you can’t find a way to take on this first Kicks Challenge, I encourage you to still share this experience vicariously with your children by following our blog. Use this opportunity to talk about homelessness and it’s effects on the populations of the world and our very own country. Cite the examples of Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans, of how people who had their every possession swept away in a storm and have rebuilt in the face of adversity… while many remain homeless to this day, 5 years on. Or how there are 100 million homeless people in the world, nearly 1 million homeless in America (a quarter of which reside in NYC alone) or that there are 3,000 homeless in Philadelphia (streets & shelters). For more information: http://www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/ , http://www.endhomelessness.org/
You can also use the challenge to start a conversation with younger children about the dangers of playing with matches, for example. “If you play with matches or leave the stove on or jam things into electrical sockets, a fire could start and WE could lose our home… or worse. Be creative- the lesson is what you make of it.
The point of this Kicks Challenge is not to make anyone feel guilty or inadequate; it is to inform our youth of the inequities of the world and encourage them to get involved in their community. It is not meant to be dangerous or shameful or negative, rather the point is to inform through example - to encourage through empathy.
Take this opportunity to start a dialogue with your children/family/loved ones about issues important to you. The lessons and conversation can go anywhere you want; these Kicks Challenges mean to serve as merely the catalyst for starting such a dialogue and getting involved in the community.
Kicks will be doing a clothing drive in Philadelphia this summer, more details on that later. If you’re interested in volunteering or getting involved in this project please contact us at TheKicksProject@gmail.com.
Invariably, we at Kicks hope to create a sense of empowerment whenever we go into schools or interact with kids by teaching them how to become community leaders and bring attention to strife. Children often tell me these things sound “unfair” and they want to know how they can make a difference. We hope to encourage this sense of involvement and contribution at The Kicks Project.
While sleeping outside one night wont solve homelessness or directly help anyone who is homeless per say, hopefully it will impact children to the point of action, both now and in their lives moving forward. This is our mission with Kicks Challenge #1: Homelessness.
Thank you for reading. Feedback and criticism is welcome and encouraged.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Kicks Challenge #1 - Homelessness
Happy June, Kicks Community! Every month we will be issuing a “Kicks Challenge” to all of you out there to test your resolve by putting yourself in the shoes of another for just one day a month. It is a campaign we are calling “Understanding Through Empathy” and it is going to be a lot of fun! We recommend that you undertake this first challenge with your family, kids, girl/boyfriend…whomever, as it is sure to be a great bonding experience and life lesson, especially for children.
C’mon, take the plunge- its only one day and if you challenge yourself you may find that it is not only a great learning experience for you and your loved ones, but also a lot of fun as well.
So, for our First Kicks Challenge, we dare the Kicks Community to spend one full night sleeping outside of your house. I’m not talking about a road trip to a state park over the weekend. No, I mean one night in your backyard in a sleeping bag or a tent with all of your clothes and belongings for the next day. No shower. No computer. No nothing except what you bring with you outdoors. Rules are simple: once you go outside and begin the challenge you may not go back in your home for 24 hours
*Bonus points for doing it on a work night, extra bonus for wearing a suit the next day, which is what I will be doing.
Parents, I encourage you to bring your children with you, provided the environment is safe. Make it an event! It will be a great opportunity for quality family time and will surly become a lesson in empathy that you won’t soon forget.
If you don’t live in a safe area, discuss the challenge with a friend who has a safe yard and make it a group activity. It will be a great opportunity to discuss with your children the realities facing many people who are homeless here in this country and around the world. Highlight recent events to establish a tangible frame of reference for your children such as the earthquakes in Haiti and Chile and imagine yourselves in their shoes, unable to retreat indoors after the Kicks Challenge is over. Use facts to drive the point home such as: 2 million people are homeless in Haiti after the earthquake or that roughly 1 out of 70 people on the planet have no roof over their heads.
Don’t forget to debrief your family members and/or friends on their experience the next day. What did you learn from this experience? How did you feel when you woke up in the morning? Were you able to get a good night’s sleep? Why or why not? How could this experience relate to your lives? Why should we care? How does this problem affect us as a family/country/humanity? What could be done to help alleviate homelessness in your community?
I will post a debriefing form for all Kicks Challenges, so check back soon for this listing titled: Challenge #1- Homelessness. Be sure to make a journal entry and encourage your kids to do the same, it will enrich the lesson we’re driving home (homelessness is a major problem in the world) and cement the experience as an unforgettable one.
This could be a great opportunity to connect to your friends, family and neighbors for a life lesson that you and your kids will never forget. So, please participate in this Kicks Challenge #1 - Homelessness and be sure to post your ideas, thoughts, experiences, suggestions to this blog or contact me directly at: TheKicksProject@gmail.com.
Thanks for reading – I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Michael E. Gage
C’mon, take the plunge- its only one day and if you challenge yourself you may find that it is not only a great learning experience for you and your loved ones, but also a lot of fun as well.
So, for our First Kicks Challenge, we dare the Kicks Community to spend one full night sleeping outside of your house. I’m not talking about a road trip to a state park over the weekend. No, I mean one night in your backyard in a sleeping bag or a tent with all of your clothes and belongings for the next day. No shower. No computer. No nothing except what you bring with you outdoors. Rules are simple: once you go outside and begin the challenge you may not go back in your home for 24 hours
*Bonus points for doing it on a work night, extra bonus for wearing a suit the next day, which is what I will be doing.
Parents, I encourage you to bring your children with you, provided the environment is safe. Make it an event! It will be a great opportunity for quality family time and will surly become a lesson in empathy that you won’t soon forget.
If you don’t live in a safe area, discuss the challenge with a friend who has a safe yard and make it a group activity. It will be a great opportunity to discuss with your children the realities facing many people who are homeless here in this country and around the world. Highlight recent events to establish a tangible frame of reference for your children such as the earthquakes in Haiti and Chile and imagine yourselves in their shoes, unable to retreat indoors after the Kicks Challenge is over. Use facts to drive the point home such as: 2 million people are homeless in Haiti after the earthquake or that roughly 1 out of 70 people on the planet have no roof over their heads.
Don’t forget to debrief your family members and/or friends on their experience the next day. What did you learn from this experience? How did you feel when you woke up in the morning? Were you able to get a good night’s sleep? Why or why not? How could this experience relate to your lives? Why should we care? How does this problem affect us as a family/country/humanity? What could be done to help alleviate homelessness in your community?
I will post a debriefing form for all Kicks Challenges, so check back soon for this listing titled: Challenge #1- Homelessness. Be sure to make a journal entry and encourage your kids to do the same, it will enrich the lesson we’re driving home (homelessness is a major problem in the world) and cement the experience as an unforgettable one.
This could be a great opportunity to connect to your friends, family and neighbors for a life lesson that you and your kids will never forget. So, please participate in this Kicks Challenge #1 - Homelessness and be sure to post your ideas, thoughts, experiences, suggestions to this blog or contact me directly at: TheKicksProject@gmail.com.
Thanks for reading – I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Michael E. Gage
Friday, May 14, 2010
Kicks Fundraiser a Success!
Below you'll find an article about a banquet where Kicks raised $3,200. Transcript of the article below:
Banquet Raises Funds for Global Kicks Project
Photojournalist’s project well received at local event.
By Justin Strawser – Staff Writer
COAL TOWNSHIP –
A photojournalist who spends time helping poor children around the globe got a boost for his work from the coal region Saturday night.
Michael Gage, founder of KICKS – the Key to Implementing Change begins by Kicking a Soccerball – explained his organization and its goals to a receptive audience at the Inaugural Autumn Extravaganza, a formal banquet at Nos-Trovia.
The event attracted 127 people and, at $25 a ticket, raised $3,175 for KICKS, which Gage started in an effort to offer much needed supplies and social interaction to children in poor countries. “Hopefully we’ll get connections,” he said about his effort here and elsewhere to spread the word about KICKS.
Gage said building partnerships with local and national organizations is vital to his cause, and he asked those in attendance to help him with connections, volunteering and donations.
Universal Language
Gage told the audience, which enjoyed a cocktail hour with acoustic music, a buffet-style dinner, Gage’s presentation and a band and dancing, that his work toward change begins with a soccer ball. “One thing that everyone in the world understands is soccer,” Gage said.
He said children are more willing to listen to people talk about important issues concerning their community after they have had a few hours of soccer play. That’s when he pulls them into a circle and, while they rest and re-hydrate, he communicates. “You gain their trust this way,” he said.
The idea for KICKS began with a chance meeting of three children in the jungles of Marangu in Tanzania, Africa. Gage writes about those children in his online biography describing how they changed his perspective and purpose in life.
After interacting with the children, he learned from his translator/guide that they had lost their younger sibling to malaria just days earlier. Gage was amazed how such a disease could be an accepted way of life. With that, his worldwide travel took on new meaning. “We decided to make trips based around helping others,” he said.
Nos-Trovia owner Mary Lenig, who is part of KICKS and has accompanied Gage on his trips to impoverished nations invited gage to speak at her establishment. “Being involved is being aware of something outside yourself,” she said in discussing Gage’s visit. “These things are going on in the world; whether you acknowledge it or not, it’s still happening.”
She said it is not only necessary to acknowledge a problem, but to take action. “Any time there is knowledge, there is accountability,” she said. “Whether it’s in our backyard or Africa, I believe that, coming from the greatest nation of the world, we hold ourselves accountable.”
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Kicks Blog #2, Recreating Blog #1
Welcome to the first installment of the second ‘Kicks Project’ Blog. Our first blog, created in 2008 during the Brazil Kicks Project, was mistakenly deleted along with all of the content. So, as in life, we will rebuild – and make this blog better than the first.
The idea behind this Blog #2 is two-fold:
Of course we will be updating the Kicks Community on our annual “Kicks Project”, as well as documenting “Kicks Gives”, like our recent shipment of soccer balls to U.S. troops in Afghanistan to distribute to local children in a "hearts & minds campaign". We will also be posting photos and stories from Kicks speeches and presentations to schools, humanitarian clubs & other groups.
Secondly, this blog will serve to issue monthly dares to the Kicks Community that are called “The Kicks Challenge”. These challenges might be along the lines of going an entire day without speaking or not using your hands to eat your dinner. They will be issued every month and come with downloadable instructions, rules and a debriefing checklist for group members after the challenge, and... oh yes, I myself will be a participant. The purpose is not simply a means to test your level of resolve, rather they will server as important interactive lessons to share with your partners, children, family and neighbors. This could be a great opportunity to connect to your friends, family and neighbors for a life lesson that you and your kids will never forget.
It may sound silly, but one of the messages Kicks emphasizes at schools is an “Understanding Through Empathy” and we issue these challenges to the school children as well (with teacher/parent approval). Examples might be walking for 30 minutes during recess with a gallon of water on their head to simulate a fraction of the journey children in sub-Shaharan Africa make every day for clean water. Another might be to not eat lunch one day on a weekend to feel the brief pangs of hunger that more than 100 million people suffer every day.
The purpose of these challenges is to mimic hardships that many people around the world face on a daily basis and give children and adults alike a frame of reference for what it is like to be disadvantaged. So please participate in the monthly Kicks Challenge and post your experience along with photos from the challenge to the site. After all, if a 5th grader can do it, don’t you think you can too?
You will also notice a link to the right of this blog entry titled “The Kicks Project: A History”. Here I have attempted to reconstruct the history of The Kicks Project all the way back to 2005, where it all began with a chance encounter with 3 children in East Africa who, through being lost in the jungles of Marangu, turned out to be exactly where they were meant to be.
So, please check out the “History of The Kicks Project” link to get a full understanding of The Kicks Project and our development over the years. I hope that this will give some context to the direction of The Kicks Project, the lasting change that we have left in our wake, and what we hope to do in the future.
To be sure, realizing the dream of The Kicks Project has been a hard fought task, and is far from complete. Our ultimate vision is to construct a youth leadership program by connecting young Americans with their counterparts around the world to affect real change in impoverished communities through something called the “Kicks Friendship Campaign”. Though our incarnations have morphed over the years from a simple orphanage/school donation project to a malaria/dengue prevention mission to a child leadership program, we have attempted many avenues of philanthropic endeavor in order to alleviate human suffering. But of all the transformations of Kicks one thing has always remained the same: the idea that The Kicks Project will work to empower children to become leaders in their community right now. Not tomorrow. Not when they grow up. Right now, for they are the future of the planet. The sooner we start teaching them how to lead, the better their leadership will be.
Please check back frequently for updates on Kicks Projects and details on our newest initiative, the “Kicks Friendship Campaign”, and be sure to participate in our monthly “Kicks Challenge” beginning in June 2010. Stories, replies, comments, photos … all is welcome. Please help to make this blog a communal effort by participating and contributing to the challenges every month.
Our goal is to eventually organize a mass Kicks Challenge in Philadelphia, possibly even break another Guinness World Record… but first we must get as many followers to this blog as possible. Please click to “subscribe” as a follower of this blog and share our posts with as many friends as possible.
Your support has been paramount to the success of The Kicks Project. Please help to make this blog go as viral as possible.
Thanks for reading – I look forward to hearing from each of you.
Michael E. Gage
TheKicksProject@gmail.com
www.TheKicksVision.com
The idea behind this Blog #2 is two-fold:
Of course we will be updating the Kicks Community on our annual “Kicks Project”, as well as documenting “Kicks Gives”, like our recent shipment of soccer balls to U.S. troops in Afghanistan to distribute to local children in a "hearts & minds campaign". We will also be posting photos and stories from Kicks speeches and presentations to schools, humanitarian clubs & other groups.
Secondly, this blog will serve to issue monthly dares to the Kicks Community that are called “The Kicks Challenge”. These challenges might be along the lines of going an entire day without speaking or not using your hands to eat your dinner. They will be issued every month and come with downloadable instructions, rules and a debriefing checklist for group members after the challenge, and... oh yes, I myself will be a participant. The purpose is not simply a means to test your level of resolve, rather they will server as important interactive lessons to share with your partners, children, family and neighbors. This could be a great opportunity to connect to your friends, family and neighbors for a life lesson that you and your kids will never forget.
It may sound silly, but one of the messages Kicks emphasizes at schools is an “Understanding Through Empathy” and we issue these challenges to the school children as well (with teacher/parent approval). Examples might be walking for 30 minutes during recess with a gallon of water on their head to simulate a fraction of the journey children in sub-Shaharan Africa make every day for clean water. Another might be to not eat lunch one day on a weekend to feel the brief pangs of hunger that more than 100 million people suffer every day.
The purpose of these challenges is to mimic hardships that many people around the world face on a daily basis and give children and adults alike a frame of reference for what it is like to be disadvantaged. So please participate in the monthly Kicks Challenge and post your experience along with photos from the challenge to the site. After all, if a 5th grader can do it, don’t you think you can too?
You will also notice a link to the right of this blog entry titled “The Kicks Project: A History”. Here I have attempted to reconstruct the history of The Kicks Project all the way back to 2005, where it all began with a chance encounter with 3 children in East Africa who, through being lost in the jungles of Marangu, turned out to be exactly where they were meant to be.
So, please check out the “History of The Kicks Project” link to get a full understanding of The Kicks Project and our development over the years. I hope that this will give some context to the direction of The Kicks Project, the lasting change that we have left in our wake, and what we hope to do in the future.
To be sure, realizing the dream of The Kicks Project has been a hard fought task, and is far from complete. Our ultimate vision is to construct a youth leadership program by connecting young Americans with their counterparts around the world to affect real change in impoverished communities through something called the “Kicks Friendship Campaign”. Though our incarnations have morphed over the years from a simple orphanage/school donation project to a malaria/dengue prevention mission to a child leadership program, we have attempted many avenues of philanthropic endeavor in order to alleviate human suffering. But of all the transformations of Kicks one thing has always remained the same: the idea that The Kicks Project will work to empower children to become leaders in their community right now. Not tomorrow. Not when they grow up. Right now, for they are the future of the planet. The sooner we start teaching them how to lead, the better their leadership will be.
Please check back frequently for updates on Kicks Projects and details on our newest initiative, the “Kicks Friendship Campaign”, and be sure to participate in our monthly “Kicks Challenge” beginning in June 2010. Stories, replies, comments, photos … all is welcome. Please help to make this blog a communal effort by participating and contributing to the challenges every month.
Our goal is to eventually organize a mass Kicks Challenge in Philadelphia, possibly even break another Guinness World Record… but first we must get as many followers to this blog as possible. Please click to “subscribe” as a follower of this blog and share our posts with as many friends as possible.
Your support has been paramount to the success of The Kicks Project. Please help to make this blog go as viral as possible.
Thanks for reading – I look forward to hearing from each of you.
Michael E. Gage
TheKicksProject@gmail.com
www.TheKicksVision.com
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