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Mike Wiggins, head boys soccer coach at Hinsdale Central, will present Kellie O’Brien, founder of the O’Brien School for the Massai, with 300 soccer balls for students at the school in Tanzania.
POWER TO PLAY Photography by Jim Prisching Mike Wiggins, Hinsdale Central head boys soccer coach, recently partnered with Indianapolis-based “Make Your Own Ball Day.” This organization’s mission is to “envision a world where every kid—regardless of living conditions—has the tools and power to play.” 8
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Most children make their own soccer balls from whatever is available. Wiggins spent his summer offering various soccer camps, and had each player come with a homemade ball. At the end of the camps, they were given real balls. They were then told about the option to keep the ball, or donate it to the students at O’Brien School in rural Tanzania. Three hundred of his players chose to donate their balls. In October, these balls will be on their way to Tanzania, where the Maasai students will benefit from the generosity of young local soccer players. n