During these trying times, the spirit of generosity within Miami continues to abound. The 2020 pandemic, many of us have been forced into isolation, and have sat still as we watched the often polarizing sentinel events around the world. These events took the media and airwaves by storm, and left little room to celebrate the good things which are happening, and that HUMANITY remains intact. The power of kindness is all around us, and you can see this best in the actions of others. It takes great thought, intent and execution.
In this edition of Partners in Progress, we will begin with the two givers – Up2Us Sports is a nationwide leader in engaging, training and supporting sports coaches to serve as mentors and role models to youth living in some of America’s most underserved communities. Through its myriad connections, Up2Us Sports was approached by a local student-run charity - Kickz4KidzMiami, seeking to find a community to share their acquisition of more than 300 pairs of tennis shoes with.
“Altruism is a state of mind, it’s a motivation and intention to wish good for a person or a group of persons – and these three friends embody this tenet.”
Kickz4KidzMiami, which includes three members – Raj Khemlani, Senior at Belen Jesuit Preparatory School; Brooke Merdjane, Senior at Our Lady of Lourdes Academy; and Alex Perez, Senior at Christopher Columbus High School. The three students remained friends from their formative education at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish School from Pre-kindergarten - 8th grade. Their friendship continued, where they decided to engage in community service and founded the organization Kidz4KickzMiami. Each student has had success in sports and played from elementary through high school. Because of their positive experience with sports, they wanted to encourage other students to engage in sports and to lead a healthy lifestyle.
A little about the receivers – The Optimist Club of Overtown positions youth to be leaders through its hallmark programming in education, mentorship and sports. The Optimist Club services youth between the ages of 5 – 18, and beyond. The power of kindness is all around us, and you can see this best in the actions of our partners.
