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