Give keiki the joy of sports
Friday - December 12, 2008
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Del.icio.usReflect back on your first experience with sports. It may have been soccer, the sport with the largest number of participants. It could have been baseball, or perhaps basketball, or possibly football or volleyball. For most of us, the introduction involved family or friends. And, of course, the ball - a simple piece of equipment that most of us took for granted.
In these difficult times, many children cannot take the most basic equipment for granted. Most of us who love sports recognize the tremendous benefits derived by our young people through sports - virtues such as cooperation, commitment, hard work and sacrifice; learning to be humble in victory and gracious in defeat; the joy of being part of a team and the thrill of competition.Valuable lessons all, and experiences that provide the foundations for adult life.
Which is why I’m asking for your help.
At ESPN 1420AM we are initiating “Sporting Goods for Neighborhoods” in conjunction with Pflueger Honda as a benefit for the Boys and Girls Club. We invite you to join us by donating new or used equipment so that all of our children can enjoy playing sports. Just drive through at the Downtown Pflueger location to drop off your donation. You’ll receive some valuable coupons in return and a chance to win a trip for two to Las Vegas.
The Boys and Girls Club provides unique programs for children, many of whom come from disadvantaged backgrounds. Your donations will be distributed to the various clubhouses where they’ll be put to immediate use. Boys and Girls Club director of operations and finance, Jim Gagne, says, “We’ll be able to get donated goods to some of the more remote areas and Kauai. You’d be surprised how this basic equipment can spark not just fun activities but a lifetime passion.”
It may be a small donation that can have a huge impact on the lives of these kids. Take a few minutes to drop off any equipment at Pflueger Honda on Beretania Street between Bishop and Alakea.
Your help will be greatly appreciated.
After all, ‘tis the season.
The recent controversy surrounding N.Y. Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress points to a trend with professional athletes. Many have been targeted for burglaries and robberies; some are choosing to arm themselves.
But in the case of the talented but troubled Burress, this was bringing a loaded weapon into a nightclub in a city with the strictest gun law in the country. You might say that Burress shot himself between the ears; fortunately no significant damage was done. Actually it was his leg. But you get the point.
In preparation for a night out with the boys, did Burress look in the mirror and say, “Car keys, check; wallet, check; 40-caliber unregistered handgun, check”?
Come on! This is colossally poor judgment. Don’t expect to see Burress in a Giants uniform again. Many players seem miffed they can’t wear expensive bling and carry thick wads of cash without being singled out for attack. But with the huge paychecks come some restrictions.
If you need a weapon to go someplace, perhaps you should be going somewhere else. Or expect to suffer the consequences, which for Burress will likely mean jail time.
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