Swim club supports Samaritan's Feet
Thursday, March 27, 2008
By Jennifer Goga
Morgan Schmidt, 14, of Collier, spends a lot of time barefoot as a member of the Char-Valley Swim Club. But she and her teammates were surprised to learn many children in the world grow up with no shoes at all.
Swim club coach Jacinta Batisky introduced them to Samaritan's Feet, a charity that collects donations for children without shoes. "They couldn't comprehend that there are kids that don't have shoes," Morgan's dad, Mike Schmidt, said.
Ms. Batisky, who frequently tries to get her team involved in community service projects, was inspired after hearing an ESPN interview with Ron Hunter, basketball coach for
Since the Char-Valley Swim Club was already planning to participate in a swim meet at the IUPUI facilities, Ms. Batisky thought it would be a great opportunity to get involved. "It was a way to tie in our trip with the cause," she said.
The only problem was time.
"We had to put this thing together more hastily than we would have liked to, but it came together pretty well," said Mr. Schmidt, Char-Valley Swim Club co-president.
In just one week's time, the swim club was able to collect 15 pairs of athletic shoes and $350 in donations for Samaritan's Feet. "It was a club effort. Even those that didn't go to the meet contributed," Mr. Schmidt said.
Samaritan's Feet, based in Charlotte, N.C., was founded by Emmanuel "Manny" Ohonme who grew up in Nigeria and received his first pair of tennis shoes at age 9 from a Wisconsin stranger. With the help of those shoes, he developed a love for basketball and went on to receive a full scholarship in the
After achieving a successful career in the technology field, Mr. Ohonme set out to help children without shoes. He founded Samaritan's Feet, with a goal to equip 10 million impoverished children with 10 million pairs of shoes during the next 10 years.
"Essentially from the generosity of one pair of shoes, a man was able to get an education and a lifestyle that was beyond his wildest dreams," Ms. Batisky said.
She contacted Mr. Hunter and Samaritan's Feet regarding the club's donation. "They were unbelievably humbled by even our small donation," Ms. Batisky said. Samaritan's Feet marketing director, Todd Mellow, arranged to meet the team on Feb. 2 to accept the donation. "He was so gracious and shook all of the kids' hands."
Ms. Batisky said she was told that Samaritan's Feet would track the donated shoes and report back to the club. Knowing where their donations went seemed to hold particular interest for the children, she said.
"It's always been my philosophy to get my kids involved in community service," Ms. Batisky said. She explained that swimming is primarily an individual sport. "It can get difficult to keep a team atmosphere." A Samaritan's Feet fund-raiser, along with a food drive in November, has helped the team bond, she says.
Mr. Schmidt and his wife, Sharon, are co-presidents of the club. Their two children, Morgan and Brody, 10, have been swimming with the club for the past four seasons
"I think it's a great lesson for these kids to learn," Sharon Schmidt said. "What I find interesting is that it's coming from their coach, someone other than their parents. And it's a team effort."
The Char-Valley Swim Club consists of nearly 70 swimmers, ranging in age from 5 to 18. The team is an age-group club team that competes in weekend swim meets throughout the winter months. They rent pool time from the school district, holding practice weekday evenings and weekends. The season typically begins in September and ends in May.
Morgan described the weekend at IUPUI as "exciting." Along with enjoying a mini-vacation with family and friends, she competed well. But she also felt good about contributing to Samaritan's Feet. "We have stuff that other people don't have, so it's a good idea to help them."
Not affiliated with Samaritan's Purse.
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