Yes it's that time of year again, time to be pandered to for your generosity. The time of year where we set our expectations high because we know you will help us reach them. Last year we set a goal for our scholarship fund to hit $5,000 and we made it with your help. The group was small but mighty. This year we would love to have more participation. If every person that receives this made a small contribution, we would hit that $5,000 mark in no time. Last year we were able to sponsor over 70 kids. Kids that would not normally have the opportunity to play. I can't tell you about all 70, but I can share a story about one family.
This one family in particular has three kids. These kids are very active in sports, playing something all the time. They are a typical family in our program. Parents love the kids, kids love the parents, they may even have a dog - they could be any one of us. However, this year they were hit hard and they had to make choices. Those choices included some tough decisions. The mom called us on the last day to register and as we were doing her registration we asked her which child she was registering first (because we knew all three played.) She started to cry and said she only had enough money to register one of her kids. They all wanted to play but she couldn't afford it so she was letting the oldest one play and was hoping things would be better by the next season. The two younger ones were disappointed but she said they would be okay, she was hopeful things would all work out. First, we couldn't imagine the heartbreak for this mother to tell the two younger ones they didn't get to play this season. Second, we couldn't let this happen - do you know why? Because we have you! I wish all of you could've been with us when we told this mother that we had funds available for situations just like this. I helped her get all three registered and I told her things would turn around. Some day, maybe even today, she could pay it forward and help out another family when they might be in the same situation. Those tears were suddenly tears of joy (both mine and hers). We don't "advertise" our scholarship fund regularly so a lot of people who have never needed it, don't really know about it. Well, I am here to tell you it exists and it gets used.
I wish I could tell you about each one of our families. Some have gone through divorce, others a job loss, or a medical crisis. I know things will turn around for a lot of them. We have very few families that continue year after year on our scholarship program which tells me things will get better for some while others learn about our scholarship fund for the first time. The key is to let these kids continue to play. Unfortunately, we can't do that without your help.
Think about how you can make a difference in a child's life. Imagine if that family above wasn't able to let all three kids play. Can you imagine the reminder every week when the two younger ones went to watch the older one play - disappointment for both the kids but also the parents. Imagine a child going through a divorce - their soccer team may be their only outlet with their friends on it - that could be what gets them through a difficult situation. Imagine a child with a mom or dad that has cancer, I can't even begin to tell you how important those friendships are. Some of our teams have been together through all of these situations. Those parents rally around those kids and continue to tell them everything will be okay. I know these families appreciate the help.
Please consider helping out. It's easy. Just click here https://www.spcaa.com/
With your help we will be able to continue our scholarship program. I am proud to say we have never turned down a child because of their inability to pay. I give you my word, we never will.
Sincerely,
Stephanie A. Schieber
Director
Northland Sports Alliance
8341 NW Mace Road
Kansas City, MO 64152
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