OHS Graduate Collecting Soccer Balls For Impoverished Children

Last year Oswego resident Abbey Kipper had a goal to collect soccer balls to distribute them to impoverished children in Guatemala.

She collected 304 and went to Guatemala to pass the balls out to children for Christmas.

Kipper called the trip "rewarding beyond my expectations" and said she saw "hundreds of sweet kids’ shy smiles as I handed them their new pelota(soccer ball) and their giddy gait as they ran off to play with what would likely be their only toy of the year."

Now an OHS graduate and heading to Hope College as a freshman, Kipper wants to continue her mission, called "Fun For a Change" to distribute soccer balls with the organization Vamos Adelante, a non-profit that provides education, health and nutrition services to the poor in Guatemala. 

"The appreciation that the families showed for such simple gifts is humbling, and it has made me further committed to continuing my mission to collect soccer balls for these children," said Kipper in a letter. "Although I am proud that 300 children received a little “fun for a change”, only five percent of the families that Vamos Adelante serves received a ball."

Kipper will be collecting soccer balls through Sept. 5. Donations can be dropped off at a bin at the Oswego Police Department, 3525 Route 34. You can also contact Kipper for optional donation points. Both used and new balls are accepted so long as they are in good condition. 

Anyone that would like to make a monetary donation can make a check to Abbey Kipper and send it to Abbey Kipper, care of The Oswego Police Department, 3525 U.S. 34 Oswego, IL 60543. 

Read more about "Fun for a Change" here.