Sanneh Foundation Chosen To Be Part Of International Sports Program
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- What started as a summer camp for Minnesota kids who love soccer has evolved into an international exchange program.
The U.S. State Department recently selected the Sanneh Foundation in St. Paul to be one of nine organizations across the world to run a youth sports program.
About 40 teenagers from Haiti will come to Minnesota this year and next, as part of an international exchange.
And some Minnesota kids are headed to Port-Au-Prince.
The people of Haiti may be more familiar with the Sanneh Foundation than most Minnesotans.
Staff members and volunteers have made several visits there in the last six years, after former professional soccer player Tony Sanneh made a commitment to help the children in Haiti.
Here in the Twin Cities, Sanneh runs after-school programs at recreation centers and sponsors more than 80 free summer camps for thousands of Minnesota kids.
"We've just concentrated on doing a great job, and word of mouth has helped our programs grow," Sanneh said.
In December, the State Department awarded the Sanneh Foundation a grant that enable it to expand its work.
Minnesota teenagers will head to Haiti to play soccer with the locals this spring, while Haitian kids will come here this summer to compete in the Schwan's USA Cup Soccer Tournament in Blaine.
"We travel with the group over spring break to Haiti," Sanneh said. "It's a week and some service learning, you have to actually work with the Haitians that will be coming over here, to do a community event over there."
He says Haitian girls need extra attention.
"They're soft spoken. The culture in that country, men are usually dictating what happens," Sanneh said.
So the coaching includes a bit of female empowerment.
The game already provides exposure to different cultures.
"We really try to promote inclusivity," Sanneh said. "And it does leave the soccer field, because if you can play together, you can learn together in the classroom and you can live peacefully together in this world."
There are still a couple of openings for Minnesota teenagers who want to apply to go to Haiti during spring break in March.
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This summer, the Sanneh Foundation will offer free summer sports camps to 10,000 kids here in the Twin Cities.
And to do that, they need your help.
This Saturday, the group is holding its sixth annual fundraiser called Gala4Goals.
It's at RiverCentre in St. Paul, and I'll be the emcee.
Tickets are $150 for dinner and the awards program, but you can also buy a $45 non-dinner ticket, and still have appetizers and drinks.
