Professional Athletes That Attended:
Mike Scifres – San Diego Chargers
Sean Smith – Miami Dolphins
T.J. Houshmandzadeh – Seattle Seahawks
Rudy Johnson – Detroit Lions
Andray Blatche – Washington Wizards
Ray Edwards – Minnesota Vikings
Morlon Underwood – Houston Texans
Delonte West – Cleveland Cavilers
http://www.rujohnfoundation.com/
All the players and family members met in Ft. Lauderdale on Saturday June 20th at Ingrid Bachelor’s house (the women that started the RuJohn foundation) for a BBQ and to meet each other before we left the following day.
We left on Sunday Morning and arrived In Kingston. A presentation to the schools was given awarding them with hundreds of backpacks, school supplies, basketball equipment and actual basketball courts that would be installed along with scholarships to a few highlighted students at different schools within Kingston. The foundation was built to bring knowledge and funding to the area with the idea of allowing one child to “achieve” his/her dream of one day becoming a professional athlete. With the assistance and funding of The Rujohn Foundation one child will have the opportunity to potentially fulfill their dream of becoming a professional athlete.
Monday we attended a camp in Kingston with over 400 children, half of them not wearing any shoes. One boy even would trade shoes with his sister when it was time for her to participate in the sports and then she would return them so her brother could play in a basketball game.
Tuesday we boarded a bus and started off on a 4.5 hour drive to Montego Bay. We all had the chance to visit a school and found there were more than double the amount of kids per classroom (definitely something new to our eyes) and two completely different grade levels would share the same classroom. The room was split in half so one side of the room would be one class level and the other side of the room was another class level (nothing separating the two levels).
Wednesday afternoon another camp was held in which the players divided up into groups and the kids rotated around to make sure they were able to take a little skill from each position and sport. You could definitely tell soccer was their sport. Anytime there was any downtime a side soccer game would be taking place.
It was a great experience to be involved with the kids and make a difference in helping them access the equipment they need to be active in their sports. Along with the sports, the Rujohn foundation donates thousands of dollars worth of school supplies and funding to help these children get the best possible future and education.
Truly an unforgettable trip and an unbelievable experience.
