Dodge Ball for the Homeless:
Yeah. You read that correctly.
I’m writing about Dodge Ball for the Homeless.
It’s the brain child of, well… a child. His name is Max and he’s a Fifth Grader at Windermere Elementary in Upper Arlington, Ohio.
For those of you who’ve never been to Upper Arlington, it’s one of the richest cities in Central Ohio and in the Top Twenty-Five in Ohio. Think Steven Spielberg-like Suburb. Everything’s perfect here and easy for us to live a sheltered life, worrying about things like who’s going to take over the local strip mall space that Macy’s is going to be vacating.
But Max was worried about things beyond the real estate at the local strip mall. He knew there were bigger problems in this world and after talking to many people from Urban, Suburban, and Rural communities he discovered one common issue. Homelessness. It surprised him that one common issue that these different communities faced was homelessness.
So how could Max change this? How could he make a difference? He’s just one kid, right? The answer hit him like a flying wrench.
Dodge Ball Tournament. It's been rescheduled for today, March 1, and there's still time to help out!
Max mobilized the kids around him and reached out to the other elementary kids in his neighborhood. As of this posting, there are almost 200 kids signed up.
It’s a simple idea. Raise money for the homeless by playing Dodge Ball. He’s hoping to get kids to play Dodge Ball and then get people to donate money and sponsor the teams. All proceeds benefit The Faith Mission in Downtown Columbus Ohio.
His goal: $5000.
You can donate to his campaign by clicking here.
I’m pretty sure he can reach his goal. I’m kicking in $100 myself. I’m challenging everyone who reads this blog to donate as well. Give whatever you can at this website.
You know, I often wonder what type of world we’re going to have once the internet, smartphone, wifi consuming “me generation” kids of today become adults. With kids like Max and his friends, I think we’ll be in good hands.
Wal Ozello is a science fiction techno-thriller novelist and the author of Assignment 1989 and Revolution 1990. He's a resident of Upper Arlington, Ohio and a frequent customer at Colin's Coffee.
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