Changing lives one basketball at a time

Thanks to Noah Perkins for interviewing me today and telling the story of Ball4All as we look to achieve our goal of 2,000 basketballs for kids this Christmas. Read the full article on about Ball4All on Coast News.

If you're interested in supporting Ball4All, you can make a tax deductible donation by following the instructions at the bottom of the page or contacting Will at [email protected]

Being very passionate about basketball, my goal is to be able to share this passion with childen who might not have an opportunity to experience this passion. By giving out basketballs, I hope that I can give them an opportunity to try the game of basketball, and who knows, maybe they will develop a similar love for the game that I have. After attending the HLA “Toys for Hope” event at King Chavez Academy, I was able to witness the effect that serving has on the community. I felt compelled to add as much as I could to this event, and that is how I started on this mission. In order to actually make a difference, I had to determine what I could bring to the table.

From experience, I knew that many of the kids who attended this annual event were very athletic and liked to run around a lot. During last year's event, my friends and I had the opportunity to run the basketball hoop station, where the attending children were able to shoot basketballs and have a good time in the presence of encouragement and fellowship. I saw a glimpse of my own love for the game of basketball in each one of them. Then, towards the end of the event, an extraordinary amount of bikes were compiled in the middle of the gathering. It seemed like a lot of bikes to me, but I didn’t know how many there actually were. When I started helping people exit the event at its conclusion, I realized that every single one of the roughly 2,000 kids in attendance had received a bike.

Right then, at that moment, I knew I wanted to set a goal for next year. I wanted to be able to give every single kid a basketball to go along with their bike. There are hoops all over San Diego, but basketballs are often hard to come by, so I thought that if each kid got a basketball, the opportunities that it would lead to would be endless. Any sport, but specifically basketball, is a great way to exert energy and work hard towards a goal. Each basketball symbolizes more than just a piece of sports equipment; it represents a pathway to physical health, social cohesion, and personal growth. Just one more donated basketball could mean one more opportunity for a kid like me. it could translate to many hours of friendship, hard work, and hopefully, a similar passion for the game that I possess. After many months of work, I am committed to making sure that when every kid leaves next year, they are not only leaving with their bike, but with their basketball as well. I would greatly appreciate it if you took the time to help make an impact by contributing to this journey.