If you or someone in your family has ever played team sports then you know it’s really about everything but sports. Sure, being on a sports team teaches rules of the game and hones yours skills, but it also teaches team work, camaraderie, empathy, and selflessness. Brenda Johnson’s 7th grade girls volleyball team Sugar & Spikes knows this as well as anyone.
The Blue Valley Recreation volleyball league has an honored tradition of allowing one team a year to conduct a community service project and Johnson’s team stepped up to organize this year’s project. The Blue Valley Rec team collected socks for the non-profit organization Blair’s Foster Socks during the fall season.
The organization is named after Blair Lane who, at the age of 11, wanted to change the world. Blair learned that most children entering a foster home usually had stuffed animals for comfort but did not have the simple essential of a clean pair of socks. The sixth grader started making plans for her Girl Scout Gold Award project slated for five years down the road when she was a junior in high school. She wanted to start a nonprofit organization that would collect socks, clothing, and necessities to help families and children in distressed situations.
Blair’s life was cut short, too short, in 2011. While spending time with friends and family, four nearby strangers discharged firearms in celebration of the Fourth of July and a stray bullet struck Blair. She died as a result of her injuries the next day.
“Blair was 11 when she was killed and I think about her often as my daughter just turned 12 at the end of July this year,” said Johnson. “I’ve donated socks to the organization before during their annual golf tournament, but I think she was just on my mind a lot this summer.”
Johnson’s team decided to make a difference. The squad issued a challenge to other teams in the Blue Valley Rec league of collecting new pairs of socks for Blair’s Foster Socks. The group with the most pairs of socks on Oct. 17 won a pizza party.
It was a huge success. Teams in the league collected 1,583 pairs of socks and Gretchen Mitchell’s 5th grade Shockwave team (Sophia B., Mira B., Anna H., Reese K., Audrey K., Hannah L., Taylor M., Sydney P., Paige R.,
Eden T.) won the pizza party with 407 pairs. More importantly, the girls learned the value of servant leadership and compassion.
“Everyone was thrilled to participate,” said Johnson. “The outcome was overwhelming.”
You can learn more about Blair’s Foster Socks by visiting http://blairsfostersocks.org/.
Sugar & Spice Team Members
Ellen C.
Lexie H.
McKenna J.
Caroline K.
MacKenzie M.
Emily M.
Leah P.
Ainsley S.
Carley S.
Mandy U.
Brenda Johnson, coach