NEWS
8-year-old Kaitlynn Davis lost her father on Jan. 1, 2007. Three weeks later, she lost her great-grandma, and five months after, in May, her grandpa.
For children ages 3 to 17 like Kaitlynn, Hearts and Hope, Inc. is an organization that provides families support as they learn how to cope with the loss of a loved one.
“When I go there, it makes me feel like I’m not sad,” said Kaitlynn. “We have very nice counselors. They make me feel warm inside, and they make me feel like I don’t wanna leave ever.”
A kickball tournament for the Hearts and Hope Center will take place at the Henderson Field on the Boca campus on Saturday, April 24, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. The fundraiser is being organized by FAU’s Students Advocating Volunteer Involvement (SAVI) and the Weppner Center for Civic Engagement and Service in order to raise money for grieving children.
A $100 registration fee will be charged for a 10- to 15-member team. All team members will receive a T-shirt and food. Each registration will provide a sponsorship for one child for one month. 100 percent of the proceeds from the tournament will go to Hearts and Hope.
“We are an agency that charges no fees for services. We provide grief support to children and their families,” said Susie MacDonald, director of development at Hearts and Hope, Inc. “We are able to do so through special fundraisers, such as Kickball for Caring, donations and grants.”
The ongoing support from the public allows Hearts and Hope to help mend broken hearts. The organization currently has 64 kids and 50 adults in the program, but MacDonald said these numbers will increase to 97 children and 69 adults before the end of September.
According to Ann Davis, Kaitlynn’s mom, the center is in desperate need of funding.
“I don’t know what we would do without the Hearts and Hope Center,” said Davis. “You feel comfort, and you feel safe.”
According to Alexzandria May, a graduate student in experimental psychology and co-chair of Kickball for Caring, only three teams have registered so far.
“I hope students see the benefit in the event and that there are fun, active ways to get involved,” said May. “Doing something that you might already enjoy, such as playing kickball, you are essentially making a huge impact on an organization that also seeks to make a huge impact in the everyday life of children.”
This is the second time SAVI will be hosting the tournament. In 2008, SAVI donated $906 to the center, but this year the organizers hope to raise at least $2,000.
“Whatever we can get, it’s still the same spirit,” said Mariana Ortigosa, director of SAVI, chair of Kickball for Caring and a nursing major.
Ortigosa explained that SAVI makes it easy for students to get involved with the community. Participation in the kickball tournament encourages students to think of others for a day.
“We want students to know that while they are out there having fun, they are helping a child who has lost a mommy, a daddy, a brother or a sister,” said Susie MacDonald. “We are very pleased [that FAU is] able to do this for us, especially during such difficult economic times that we’re facing.”
In its quest to help mend grieving hearts, SAVI hopes to make Kickball for Caring an annual event. But for Kaitlynn, it’s more than just raising money.
“Please come out if you can so you can help other kids like me. You have a dad and I don’t, and you can help me a lot,” said Kaitlynn. “It will help bring smiles to everybody’s faces at Hearts and Hope.”
SAVI is also asking for donations. Tables will be on the Breezeway every day until April 9.
To register and to find out how you can help or volunteer, call (561) 297-3607 or visit www.fau.edu/volunteer.
