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Sports and World Peace

How a small gesture of a soccer ball can to the United States State Department.
impact so many lives... Gina came up with the idea of collecting
Like baseball, basketball is one of soccer balls when her son told her the
America's favorite pastimes. The evening impact they had on Iraqi children. She
the Houston Rockets won the NBA then contacted WQYK to help spread the
Championship in 1995, the streets of word and aid in the collection.
Houston were packed with throngs of Operation Soccer Ball was run through the
people and seemed to be a common thread local VFW. (There may be other programs
amongst everyone no matter their race, like this around the country.) And
color or creed…. that commonality was PostcardMania printed the posters -
sports. It didn't matter if they weren't pro-bono. We do lots of pro-bono work for
really basketball fans; they were fans of charities and recently started doing more
being winners and that night, we were all for the military. We were contacted this
winners. past summer to help USO Georgia by
There is something going on in Iraq right printing 18,000 postcards for a large
now that reminds me of that nostalgic deployment of American troops so they'd
moment: Operation Soccer Ball. Apparently have postcards to write home to their
the Iraqi people, particularly the Iraqi families on one last time before boarding
children, are passionate about soccer. their plane on their journey to the Iraq
Actually, it's football to them, but we and Afghanistan.
call it soccer. You could equate their Well, I got a letter the other day that
passion for the game of soccer to our Operation Soccer Ball was a big success -
love of football or baseball. Any street, over $8000 was raised for the project and
field, farm, or dusty ground off the side all the monies went directly to the cause
of the road is a veritable soccer field which enabled WQYK to collect over 3500
in Iraq. From reports of soldiers soccer balls and enough money to ship
overseas, Iraqis are all passionately them (it costs close to $2 to ship each
chasing some form or fashion of a soccer ball!). One interesting note that really
ball. If they don't have a soccer ball, stood out was that after being befriended
they'll use anything as a substitute - with a soccer ball, some Iraqi children
even a rock - and play with it like they have risked their own safety by
were playing for the World Championship. disclosing the whereabouts of numerous
Iraqis need soccer balls, and whoever IEDs (explosive devices) and insurgents
started Operation Soccer Ball, in my to our soldiers. Wow. It's amazing to me
opinion, is brilliant. It was started as that a small gesture of a soccer ball can
a way to convey the goodwill of America impact so many lives.
and American soldiers by giving Iraqi It's the pleasure in life, or even the
children soccer balls that they so contemplation of pleasure, that enriches
desperately desire. our lives. For some it could be a trip to
The love of sports, in this case being the Bahamas. For others, it could be a
soccer, is starting to become an stroll down memory lane with an old
instrument of peace and is forming a friend…or the love of a good game of
common bond between the US and the Middle basketball. But for the Iraqis, it's the
East. It's transcending cultural game of soccer. And a lot of good people
differences and language barriers and are creating a safer haven in the
it's also mitigating the aggravated worn-torn Middle East with just a few
feelings of some Iraqis that would rather balls - who'd have thought?
not see US presence in their land. Michael, a soldier in Iraq who has a blog
I found out about Operation Soccer Ball on the net, cited some Kiowa pilots from
from a local radio station in Tampa Bay - the 1st Cavalry Division that had been
WQYK. They contacted my company, dropping soccer balls from their
PostcardMania, to print posters promoting helicopters after completing their
Operation Soccer Ball in an effort to missions. One story in particular really
raise money for the cause and enable struck a chord.
soccer balls be sent to soldiers in three "I remember this one time when we came
different locations in Iraq. The purpose down, ready to drop a few balls and we
of the mission was to solidify see this kid standing off in the
relationships with the future leaders of distance. He had his arm cocked back to
Iraq by giving soccer balls out to the his ear, just ready to hurl a rock at us.
Iraqi children. I pulled one of the balls out and tossed
The program actually started in Tampa by it to him. The kid just stood there for a
a woman named Gina McDowell whose son, second, like he really wasn't sure what
PFC McDowell, is serving in the Army to do, but then he dropped that rock,
Reserves presently stationed in Al grabbed the ball and gave us the thumbs
Hillah, Iraq. He is part of the up. That was cool." --Chief Warrant
Provincial Reconstruction Team attached Officer Sonny Hinchman, Kiowa pilot.




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