The softball team will be collecting gently used sports equipment this Saturday to send to kids living around the world, including in Costa Rica, Peru, Jamaica and the Philippines. All donations can be dropped off between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. at the Marauder softball field. Students can also give equipment to any softball player at school tomorrow.

Many of these children have never bounced a basketball or swung a baseball bat. Junior Hannah Turner, on the other hand, tried volleyball, basketball and soccer before finding a love for softball. She grew up on the field and started the drive as a way to give other kids the same reality. 

“I’ve gotten to meet a ton of my closest friends through that and travel to all different places,” Turner said. “I think it’s important because we take a lot for granted. We all have the opportunity to try almost any sport we want to as a kid and then keep playing it through high school, and even sometimes into college. It opens a lot of opportunities for students that people in other countries don’t even have.” 

Turner began working with Globall Giving, a charity in Milwaukee dedicated to providing sports equipment to kids in need, and got the rest of the softball team involved. Once all of the donations are collected, they will be shipped to Globall Giving, which will then send them to different countries. 

Accepted items include different kinds of balls, uniforms, shoes, gloves, bats and pads. However, Turner encourages potential donors to bring whatever sports equipment they are willing to part with, even if they’re unsure whether Globall Giving will accept it.  

“They focus mainly on basketball, volleyball, baseball, softball and soccer because those are the more global sports, but they can take other sports equipment donations as well,” Turner said. “If you’re unsure if something is worth donating, just bring it and we’ll see.”

The softball team is hoping that the local community can leave a lasting impact on the lives of the children, despite the oceans separating them. 

“It’s pretty cool to come together as a community to help out people, even though we’re never going to meet them,” Turner said. “We just get to know that we made an impact in their life. I think that’s really amazing.”