Sports Equipment Donations
I love baseball. My goal is for everyone to have the opportunity to play and enjoy the game. Baseball teaches character, builds friendships, helps develop a proper work ethic, and transforms you into a team player. I had the chance to learn from the game and want everybody to have the same opportunity despite their economic circumstances. This is why donating baseball and other sports equipment to a needy team in the Dominican Project was my first charitable project.
Who is recieveing donations?
The donations will be handed out to children who belong to teams with Complejo Deportivo de la Villa Olimpica in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic.
Cleats in all different sizes for kids who need them to play on the team.
Bats, helmets, and other required equipment are packed into a barrel to be given out.
This barrel is filled and ready to be shipped to the Dominican Republic. Other people also donated equipment to ensure the barrel was filled to the brim.
Equipment has arrived in the DR!
What I am taking away from this experience...
I’ve learned that using the money I’ve earned from my gumball business to help others truly makes me happy. Life can be tough, and some people are really struggling. When I went to West Virginia to work at the Bethlehem Farm, I helped clean out a house that had been filled with animal feces. It wasn’t easy, but it felt good knowing I was making a difference. I didn’t just donate my time—I was also able to buy some of the things the farm needed to help people in the community. I’ve realized that giving back and helping others is something I feel called to do, and it’s a purpose I want to continue pursuing.
Running my gumball business has also taught me a lot. I had to learn how to order supplies, find locations for my machines, and set everything up. I figured out how to manage the machines, keeping them stocked with gumballs and making sure they were clean. I even learned about business insurance to make sure I was covered in case something went wrong. As the business grew, I had to figure out how much I needed to sell to make a profit. I learned that some locations work well for my gumballs, while others don’t. When I first started, I thought the gumballs would sell everywhere, but I quickly realized that’s not the case. Another important lesson has been understanding how much everything changes—from the price of the gumballs to the locations where I place them. I’ve learned that to keep my business thriving, I need to stay on top of everything and be flexible to adapt to these changes. There were also times when I realized certain locations weren’t making enough money, so I had to move my machines. It was a lot of trial and error, but I’ve gained so much experience from it.
