I hope you are well and enjoying the summer. I also hope you have time to read this email as something very special is going on in the urban Squash world. It’s beyond anything I could have imagined and was so great and inspiring I just had to share it with you…..
I am running a half marathon for SCS in San Diego on August 16th and am asking if you can help by sponsoring me. You can do that directly through Surf City Squash’s online donation page by clicking:
Just 3 weeks ago one of our Surf City Squash’s students, Hanna Fekede, had the incredible honour of being in the team who made Squash’s presentation to the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne, Switzerland, bidding to get the sport in to the Olympics. Half of the congregation had tears in their eyes by the end.
This is what she said, “My family and I moved to the US when I was 8, from Ethiopia. My mom and dad were looking for a better life but things are hard when you move to a new country and we didn’t have much money. We still don’t have much money.
My sisters and I found it very strange, suddenly going to school in San Diego with lots of America kids who all seemed to know each other. We felt out of place, even though people were mostly kind to us.
Then one day I heard about the Surf City Squash program, which is set up to give kids like me something to look forward to. We have to promise to try as hard as we can, to respect each other and to take our studies as serious as our squash. I was lucky and I got to join the program, which means I get to play squash 3 times a week and I also get educated. Best of all is that I get to go to visit people who are less lucky than me, and I help them. Sometimes we give out food and clothes to homeless people, other times we clean up the beaches or do other stuff for the community.
Now that I live in the United States I want to do something that nobody in my family has ever done before, which is go to college. I could not do this without squash. The Surf City program has really helped my grades and now I am an A student. My squash is getting better too, and I have just become National Under 15 Champion.
I will be 20 years old in 2016 and I know that if I work hard, train hard and eat right, if I’m determined and honorable and just a little bit lucky, maybe I can represent Ethiopia in the Olympic Games and encourage people like me to play squash too.”
The decision on whether Squash makes it to the final vote in October will be made in the next couple of weeks. Representing Squash with Hanna at this most important meeting were some very important people: IOC Member and Squash Patron, HRH Prince Imran of Malaysia, President of the World Squash Federation (WSF), N Ramachandran, women’s world No 1, Nicol David, men’s world No 8, Frenchman Thierry Lincou the up and coming South African, Siyoli Lusaseni
AND…….. Hanna Fekede!! Hanna also made front page of the San Diego Tribune:
http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/jul/02/unlikely-ambassador/?uniontrib
OF COURSE, IT DOESN’T END THERE!! ((-;
Last year, I raised over $55,000 when I ran the San Diego Marathon. As I mentioned earlier, this year on August 16th I am running the San Diego Half Marathon for the cause as I couldn’t walk for 3 days (or play Squash for 3 weeks!!) after last year’s 26 mile effort…. I discovered I am a Squash player not a marathon runner!!
This year I want to try and raise over $50k again… but I need your help so I have also reached out to Squash friends around the world in an effort to spread the word and raise these shekels through a big team effort at a tough time financially – especially for the program!…. the Surf City Squash website show’s a map of the world, the locations where these events are happening and the people who have so generously given their time. Their friends are supporting their efforts through on line donations and I am asking you to dig deep and match what you gave last year if you can. Let’s keep the dream alive for the kids in San Diego and send a message to the Urban Squash movement that these programs are invaluable and really change lives.
This year, more than any other, Surf City needs your support to ensure we can continue helping these amazing kids and create these fantastic stories.
Again here’s the link where you can sponsor me directly through Surf City Squash’s online donation page:
You can also see the map of the world with the events that are already planned, and where they are. Just click :
