The Mount Ida women's soccer program held the first annual Play for Hope gear drive this Friday afternoon in the Mount Ida Athletic Center. Play for Hope is a common vision compromised of Play for Hope U.S. and Play for Hope Rwanda. They are two distinct organizations that work through a mutual understanding to achieve their goals. The mission for Play for Hope is to create long term, sustainable sports growth that brings holistic ministry to the youth of impoverished areas and providing children with professional level coaching. We believe that empowering residents of the impoverished area to be agents of change will bring sustainable relevant renewal to the area. For this reason all of our programs are designed for foreigners to have as minimal involvement in an area as necessitated to begin a program.
As a program, the women's soccer team will be donating soccer jerseys, shorts, old game uniforms, socks, shin guards, cleats and soccer balls collected by each individual member of the team and coaches, to help give back to the less fortunate children in Rwanda who are HIV positive or orphaned by the deadly disease.
Head Coach Greg Hagan said "This is such a tremendous opportunity for our program to help give back to the less fortunate children in Rwanda. Mount Ida women's soccer wants to become an integral part to the Play for Hope organization and I can't think of a better way to do so by donating all of the soccer gear the team has collected to the children in Rwanda. This is a great team building experience, and we as a program look forward to holding this annual event for the next several years."