The seventh annual Hope and Health will take place on August 20 at Merle Logan Turf Field in Nanaimo. Hope and Health board members and Whitecaps FC players Russell Teibert, Kendall Waston, Erik Hurtado and Marcel de Jong will be in attendance along with their teammates Kei Kamara, Brek Shea, Efrain Juarez and Felipe Martins. They’ll also be joined by Hope and Health board member and former ‘Caps U-15 head coach James Merriman, local Vancouver Island University Mariners soccer players, Whitecaps FC club ambassador Carl Valentine and Spike!
This impressive lineup will run Vancouver Island-based Indigenous children and youth through a day of soccer skills, drills and games, after being kitted up with an authentic Hope and Health jersey, game-sized personal soccer ball, socks and cleats (first come, first serve basis for the cleats which are possible due to generous donations through the recent “Boot It Forward” Boot Drive).
Beyond the game of soccer, the day camp is designed to bring communities together and empower children and youth. The Hope and Health organization was founded on the core belief that this movement has the power to inspire Indigenous children and youth at the centre, to move towards their dreams – on and off the pitch.
After this seventh summer, Hope and Health day camps will have seen over 2,500 participants, from more than 60 First Nation communities represented at Hope and Health initiatives. For the most part, the participants are repeat attendees, making Hope and Health an annual experience that the kids look forward to each summer!
Hope and Health is excited to share another special day with all the volunteers, board members, Whitecaps FC players and most importantly, the children and youth participating in Monday’s event.
Hope and Health is open to Indigenous children and youth ages 5-18. Pre-registration is available by contacting deana@hopeandhealth.org and walk-up registration is available at the day of the camp (registration opens at 9 a.m.). The camp will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. PT.
