Dad starts nonprofit to send balls toThird World kids
Prospect High School won its homecoming game last week, defeating Elk Grove High School 28-0, but its fans waged a larger victory even before the game started.
Fans arrived at George Gattas Memorial Stadium carrying used volleyballs, soccer balls and basketballs. They deposited them -- 71 balls in all -- in bins associated with the Rebound Sports Project.
Others donated cash to the project -- totaling more than $100 -- for shipping costs, which is its largest expense.
Prospect parent Victor LaPorte of Mount Prospect started the nonprofit organization. Its mission is to put balls -- particularly those that can be deflated and shipped -- in the hands of children in Third World countries.
LaPorte is a former creative director with Leo Burnett Advertising, and as a result of extensive traveling with his job, he became acquainted with a motorcycle touring company based in San Antonio, Texas.
"I took one of their extended, off-road tours in Mexico," LaPorte says. "Some of the poverty we saw was heartbreaking."
That planted the seed, he said, which began to grow once he cleaned his own garage and came across 30 balls no longer used by his children. LaPorte eventually suggested partnering with the MotoDiscovery, the motorcycle tour operator, to distribute the balls in some Mexican villages, from the equipment van that follows the cycles.
"In these remote areas, children have little more than empty water bottles to play with," LaPorte says.
He and his family launched the idea at the Mount Prospect July 4th parade, and then began collecting balls all summer at the Mount Prospect Lions Club Farmer's Market.
Together with the farmer's market donations, brand new balls from a birthday party held last weekend, and from Prospect fans, he has collected, cleaned and deflated more than 400 balls.
Next month, officials at Windsor School in Arlington Heights plan to hold a collection, when they hope to draw as many as 500 balls.
"My goal is to get to 1,000 in one year," LaPorte says.
His first 100 balls were shipped to Mexico earlier this month, but he is yet to get his real satisfaction: seeing pictures and video of children when they are handed real, bouncing balls, to keep.
To learn more about Rebound Sports Project, visit www.reboundsports.org.