MIA VANDERHEIDE

Before taking my Grade 10 Bible Class, I had never heard of the organization called Chance to Play. Near the end of our first semester, we were assigned a culminating final project. We had many discussions about bringing restoration to the world and how each of us could contribute in some way. We decided on a few main issues, like homelessness, poverty, contaminated water, and abuse against women. Quite a few people paired off to look into these issues and discover how they could help, but I was having trouble deciding which one I wanted to support. My teacher, Mrs. P.K. came to the rescue when she showed me the organization called Chance to Play. She knew about my love of sports, especially soccer, and figured I would be able to connect well with the organization.

During class, we had time to research our charities, and figure out what we were going to do to raise awareness and how we could contribute. When I first

stumbled upon the website, I was drawn to the quote on the homepage: Making a World of Difference – Building Futures One Player at a Time. This was what our Bible project was all about: finding ways we could make a difference in our world. I looked around some more and found out I could hold a collection to

gather all sorts of equipment like jerseys, cleats, socks, shorts, soccer balls, and shin pads. Chance to Play would then send them to less fortunate countries to give to children so they could experience playing soccer together as a team. I knew I wanted to to do this at my school, so I got to work right away. I made posters to hang up and asked for an announcement to made so that everyone would know about it. Everyone was very enthusiastic for the event and Mrs. P.K. posted on our school Facebook page too!

To start off the collection, I put a one cardboard box in our school atrium, right where everyone could see it, with a poster asking people to drop off their old equipment. It was kind of slow at first, but as the days passed, I managed to get 6 boxes full! Lots of people had come up to me and talked to me about the organization, which was great because I could explain what it was all about. I was excited that so many people were kind enough to take the time to

bring in their old jerseys and cleats that were probably just sitting around, gathering dust in their basements.

Throughout this entire process, I learned a lot. Before this all, it never really occurred to me how easy it was to bring so much joy into another child’s life. I’m one person, in a world with over 7 billion people. How can I make a difference? I know now, that through this wonderful organization and this seemingly small effort, I have the power to impact someone in a big way. They will get the opportunity to participate in sports, wear a jersey, be part of a team. It’s an experience many of us take for granted, and now they get the chance to do the same. Next year I hope to host another collection at my school, as well as at my church and soccer club. Thank you to Anita, and everyone at the Chance to Play organization for making a world of difference through what you do.

Mia VanderHeide — London Ontario