December 2009 Newsletter

HOOPS 4 HOPE Global News & Updates From Our H4H Champions

December 2009

HAPPY. MERRY. PEACE. HOPE. Greetings Friends of Hoops 4 Hope, Thank you for supporting the Hoops 4 Hope family! I am pleased to announce that Hoops 4 Hope in 2010 is celebrating our fifteenth year, with our organization truly making a global impact. We offer children the healthy outlets, HIV/Aids awareness, life skills education and competitive sports programs that are every child’s right, not privilege. By reaching over 10,000 children a year in Southern Africa, our programs are the building blocks for success and hope. Our staff and volunteers are on the front lines of their own communities, delivering our proven peer education model and the exciting programs that are demonstrating the power of sport and so much more. We have had tremendous successes over the past 15 years, but our work is only getting started. We are making a real investment in the future of African communities who face so many challenges. Thank you so much for your belief in H4H and continued generosity. Our commitment to African children and their communities has never been stronger, and our need has never been greater. Please help us, by donating to Hoops 4 Hope, this holiday season. We’d love for you to come and visit us soon, in Zimbabwe or Cape Town, and would be honored to have your support on the ground in 2010 to watch our Soccer 4 Hope girls’ teams at the FIFA Football for Hope Center during the World Cup. I Hope You Enjoyed a Safe and Happy Holiday. Mark Crandall Founder and International Director

December 2009 Hoops 4 Hope

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World Aids Day December 1st, 2009

December began strong as the Hoops 4 Hope and Soccer 4 Hope Teams celebrated World Aids Day on December 1st. Soccer 4 Hope ran an outreach session, focusing on 4 schools in our program from the community of Gugulethu. This was a day for H4H and S4H to give back to this community by spending the day with the participants and people from the community, all fighting for a common cause. The day was full of basic soccer and basketball drills, a drill mastering competition, a mini tournament, and a life skills lesson that focused on HIV/AIDS awareness and risky behaviors our children face everyday. The day was a grand and memorable success, reaching well over 100 participants, and many more community members.


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Hoops 4 Hope’s Zimbabwe chapter held their annual “Best of the Best” Basketball Tournament on Friday, November 27th at Queen Elizabeth School and Girls High School of Harare. It was a tremendous event with hundreds of local participants. Here are some quick stats: * 26 Schools with a total of 320 children participated * 12 School heads and 8 City Council Social Workers were in attendance * 2 venues with 4 courts combined * Shinning Silverware and loads of sneakers, soccer jerseys, basketball vests, and uniforms were given out * Everyone walked away with something to take home * 32 teachers, 24 Hoops 4 Hope All Stars, more than 40 other volunteers made the day possible * Media coverage throughout the week from both print and electronic media * Great shots of the game appeared on their only television channel, as well as two mornings following * A sizeable crowd of parents, fans and senior H4H youths were present * More than 6 stake holders from the City Authorities, to the Basketball Union, to the Provincial Body, to the Sport and Recreation Commission, to Zimbabwe Revenue Authorities, the Ministry of Education Sport and Culture, and numerous schools graced the event. Ngoni Mukukula, Zimbabwe’s Director of Operations, had this perspective to offer on the day’s success: The standard of play was high this year. Glen View 8, Shiriyedenga, Mbizi of Highfields and Gillingham of Dzivarasekwa played basketball of high quality. Shiriyedenga had both their boys and girls teams in the finals. Mbizi Girls were in the finals for the first time in the 6th Edition of the “Best of the Best”. In the end, it was Shiriyedenga Girls who lifted the girl’s trophy and Gillinham of Dzivarasekwa collected on behalf of the boys. The two schools have dominated this tournament for a long time now. The finals were very entertaining and huge crowds gathered to watch them.

Team ZIM celebrates “Best of the Best”

Hoops 4 Hope Community Focus: Zimbabwe


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The day was not all about playing basketball though. H4H did a Life Skills session for close to and hour and half. Over 320 children participated enthusiastically, as they were taught H4H FUN-‐damentals. Fighting HIV/AIDS and stigma was our main focus on the games. The feedback and the understanding of social issues was encouraging from the kids. Norest and Martin showed great facilitation skills on the Life Skills programs. All the years of attending ‘Basketball Without Borders’ is finally paying off as our life skills came of age. I also enjoyed the energizers. The kids loved 'Vura Manzenze' -‐ a game they play dancing towards each other and back. We also brought an Urban Groove Dancing Outfit. They did not disappoint.

Amongst the invited guests were the two factions of the Harare Basketball Association. These groups set aside their current challenges to come and spend quality time with the kids of Hoops 4 Hope. It was also encouraging to see a representative from the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA). They cleared our two containers in 2006 and 2008, duty free. Mr. Mutsauki of the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee told H4H he was on leave, but he decided to join us because he could not miss the action for anything!

To put icing onto the cake, the Guest of Honor -‐ Mr. Shumba from the Ministry of Education Sport and Culture, read a great speech reciting the Hoops 4 Hope story; from Mark to Ngoni to all the All Stars, the kids, the program, and to every one that works behind the scenes. He concluded with these touching words, “I believe Hoops 4 Hope will continue to move mountains and develop good and peace loving citizens of Zimbabwe.”

As organizers, H4H was humbled to be involved in the unifying and healing effort. Hoops 4 Hope Zimbabwe represents a common ground and hope for all.

H4H Community Focus: Zimbabwe (contd)

The H4H family is proud to announce a new global partnership! HSBCares, INC. is a non-‐profit organization whose mission is to provide basketball and educational opportunities to all those in need regardless of age, income, or physical ability. They offer scholarship money for young players to attend summer camps, support basketball programs that work with disabled and underprivileged children who may not otherwise have an opportunity to learn or play the game, and provide public schools and other youth programs with vital basketball tools needed to operate at the highest level. "It is our hope that HSBCARES is the vehicle, that carries us far into the future," explains Director Carson Sofro. "We have been able to help so many, but there is a lot more left to be done."

"Our partnership with HOOPS 4 HOPE will allow us to not only continue helping those in the United States, but children in Africa as well," explains HSBCARES founder Carson Sofro. "We have not only joined in the fundraising effort, but are planning to take our staff to Southern Africa to run a camp in late summer 2010."

Sofro and H4H Founder Mark Crandall became acquainted in the fall of 2009 and a partnership was quickly born. H4H is excited to partner up with HSB Camps & HSB Cares for 2010! Both H4H and HSB family are committed to support communities locally and globally, and share the mission to positively influence the lives of young people through basketball. With the help of the kids and coaches at HSB Camps, we will be able to do more to develop our important H4H programs in Africa! For more information on HSBCares, please

visit: http://www.hsbcamps.com/hsbcares.php


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CANADIAN TEAM PROFILE: RICK GILL Rick Gill, a former international professional basketball player, is a prime example of how one person can do so much. In just two years he has gained the support of students, teachers, schools, and businesses from across his hometown city of Vancouver, Canada and he is only getting started. On November 22, 2009 Rick organized shoot-‐a-‐thons at six locations around Vancouver, BC. Rick knows hoops and people, a product of a hoops loving community, and went on from being a provincial and university basketball star to a professional international career for 7 years, including South Africa. Rick is now a teacher at Queen Elizabeth high school, around the corner from where he went to high school. Rick has led the Canadian Hoops 4 Hope effort to raise funds, creating cultural exchanges, and establish a community service award, as well as collecting thousands of uniforms, balls and sneakers. In just one year Rick and his new H4H family filled a 40ft container with 11,000 pairs of sneakers, recycled uniforms, and balls that now live on in South Africa. Founder Mark Crandall had the pleasure of going to this year’s second annual event, racing to all of six locations around the city and meeting the amazing supporters including students, teachers, shop owners, parents, Rotarians, university men's and women's teams, Steve Nash League and BC Basketball federation members, and the Michael Jordan of Canada, Howard Kelsey, to name just a few; all of whom contributed to this event that raised over $10,000 towards H4H’s first Community Container Clubhouse. Rick has established a legacy of community service and is only now getting started, harnessing unbelievable momentum in Hoops 4 Hope Canada. He is a true H4H Champion and was proudly awarded H4H’s Award of Excellence 2009, sculpted by NY artist JJ Veronis!


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MVP OUTING: A Day of Thanks to our Community Volunteers On November 28th, 69 MVP members of Hoops 4 Hope and Soccer 4 Hope were honored for their tremendous, volunteer efforts throughout the past year. They gathered for the day at Maiden’s Cove Beach in Camps Bay, just outside of Cape Town, for a much needed celebration. These individuals are the true core of our program delivery. Thanks for all your remarkable efforts in 2009, MVPs! We could not do it without you!

Originally in Xhosa, elders might use VUMA to mean “we agree”. Today, in the H4H world, it is used in slang terms for mojo, strong-‐will, power, excitement, and energy! Our All Stars, MVPs, and Coaches on the ground all embody this word, as they are passionate, dedicated, and driven to impact the children in their communities. They are truly keeping the hope alive through VUMA!

Word of the Month: VUMA

Soccer 4 Hope Life Skills Manager Wewe Sokoyi exudes great VUMA on the field, during our

recent World Aids Day celebration.

* CNP Thunder * Coach Thabo Builds a Champion Team!

Happy Holidays! Hoops 4 Hope is a leader in providing sustainable and innovative programs for the empowerment and positive

change of youth in disadvantaged communities through basketball and soccer based education, health, and skills for life programs in southern Africa.

Hoops 4 Hope (H4H) is a non-‐for-‐profit organization which gives over 10,000 children in South Africa and Zimbabwe every year a better chance to beat the odds in communities plagued by poverty, HIV/AIDS, drugs and crime. Founded in 1995, H4H combines the joy of sports programs with youth friendly curriculum that promotes leadership

and responsibility, while empowering youngsters to thrive in the big leagues of life.

Mark Crandall, International Director and Founder Hoops 4 Hope Po Box 895

East Hampton, NY 11937 Mobile: 631.774.0571

Email: [email protected]

Molly Blair, Director of Development Hoops 4 Hope 34 Grove St. #1 NY, NY 10014

Mobile: 917.414.0810 Email: [email protected]

Thierry Kita, South African Director Hoops 4 Hope PO Box 165

Cape Town, South Africa 8000 Mobile: (27) 82-‐728-‐9109


Ngoni Mukukula, Zimbabwean

Director Hoops 4 Hope 19 Bates Street

Milton Park, Harare Mobile: (263)(91) 240-‐4067


PLEASE THINK OF H4H IN THIS SEASON

OF GIVING! TO DONATE, PLEASE

VISIT OUR WEBSITE: WWW.HOOPSAFRICA.ORG

Or Make a check payable to:

Hoops 4 Hope Po Box 895

East Hampton, NY 11937

On December 10th, CNP Thunder traveled to Jo-‐Burg to play at the National Championship tournament. Because they had such a successful 2009 season, they were invited to participate in this year-‐end event. It’s been a great year for the team and they certainly ended with an explosion of H4H spirit and success. The girls team took 1st place, the boys team 3rd place, and 15 year old Busiswa Gwangwa took home MVP of the entire tournament! Launched in 2007 by H4H, CNP stands for Crossroads, Nyanga, and Philippi, 3 communities in which H4H is well established. H4H wanted to help the best kids in this 3-‐community program go further than just the H4H league. CNP Thunder was then formed and registered to play in the Western Cape Basketball League. Currently, there are 55 boys and 45 girls in two divisions-‐ under 16 and under 14. This team is a powerful continuation for the best youth in the H4H programs. Well done, CNP Thunder and Coach Thabo!

December 2009 Newsletter

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