Hi Friends!
My
name is Sean Berrigan, and together with Thomas Frazer, we are organizing a 2
week volunteer trip to the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Growing up, Thomas
and I were involved in a number of sports from Hockey and Soccer,to Volleyball
and Basketball. Both of us were also competitive swimmers, and were lucky
enough to represent the Nova Scotia Swim Team at the Canada Games in 2013. We
both have experience as varsity athletes as well, as I represented Dalhousie
swimming and Thomas represented Acadia.
Sports have
been a huge part of our lives. We both agreed that we would not be where we are
today if it weren’t for the process of growing up as competitive athletes. This
is why when we came across a volunteer program which allowed us to teach sports
to kids in Ghana, we were immediately intrigued.
Through
sports, our aim with this project is to teach children in Ghana the values of
hard work, discipline, respect, and teamwork, all while having fun. We plan on
introducing the children to sports they have never seen or played before, as
well as help develop their fundamental skills and coordination. Providing young
kids with a variety of new sports will allow each of them to showcase strengths
unknown to them and help improve their overall self-confidence. We hope that
long after our trip has concluded, the Ghanaian children will still be enjoying
the sports we introduced to them and continue to mature them as athletes and human
beings.
What We Need
Our funding
goal for this project is $2500.00. This sum, combined with other fundraising
efforts, would go a long way in getting us to Ghana with the supplies and fees required
for a trip like this. As volunteers, we are financially responsible for our
flights, registration and volunteer fees, travel visas and travel insurance,
sports equipment for the children, a mosquito tent, a criminal background
check, and transportation to the airport at the conclusion of our trip. The
cost is higher than your average vacation, but we feel the experience will be
well worth it.
I attended
Dalhousie last year, but decided that it was not for me. I now plan on
attending Holland College next September for the Firefighter Program, and
recently found full time work in order to pay for that program. Thomas is in
his 4th year at Acadia University, and will graduate in December
2016 with a Bachelor of Business Administration. As you can probably imagine,
our budget for a trip to Africa at this time in our lives is significantly
restricted by the cost of our education. We are willing to pay what we can from
our own pockets, but with the estimated budget we devised, we will be unable to
participate in this incredible opportunity without your support.
Thomas and I
have a combined 10+ years of coaching under our belt, and we feel that our
knowledge and experience can be well utilized by this Sports Education Program.
We are committed, passionate, hardworking individuals eager to make a positive
change in the lives of others.
The Impact
By
contributing to our trip Ghana fund, you are instantly making a positive change
in the world, starting with Thomas and me. We are both extremely excited and
driven to take part in this amazing project, and we ensure you that every
dollar we are funded will motivate us that much more. We are confident that
through our Sports Education Program we will improve the lives of many
Ghanaians during our stay, and long after we leave.
Other Ways You Can Help
Thomas and I deeply appreciate contributions of any
kind, and cannot thank you enough for expressing an interest in our dream. If
you wish to use a different method of contribution, we are also interested in
new or lightly used sporting equipment of almost any kind. The equipment will
be brought with us to Ghana and given to the children who we teach!
If you are unable to donate, we encourage you to
share our story with your friends and family! Thank you very much for reading!
Sincerely,
Sean Berrigan and Thomas Frazer
