Cleats For Bare Feet

Sepak takraw - For your enjoyment

2011-08-17T15:05:00.002-04:00

Check out this video of Sepak takraw (a sport popular in South-East Asia) ... in western terms it's a soccer-volleyball crossbreed sport. Enjoy.

New York Collectionh

2011-08-10T12:46:00.002-04:00

Cleats for Bare Feet would like to extend a big thank you to Luke Schweider from Boy Scout troop 183 in New York.

Luke collected over 100 pieces of equipment including cleats, balls, jerseys, shin guards, and more! The equipment from his collection will be going to Jamaica later this year.

Anyone who is interested in helping with fundraising to pay for the shipping of collected equipment please visit the Contact Us page and give us a shout. As always...

Thank you for lending a helping hand to a foot in need.

Cleats for Bare Feet in KC

2011-07-19T18:30:00.002-04:00

Cleats for Bare Feet Kansas City will be present at the USSSA 2011 National Championships this weekend (July 22-24) at the Overland Park Sporting Complex in Overland Park, KS.

To all coaches, parents, and players... bring your new or used soccer equipment, including cleats, balls, jerseys, and shin guards to the C4BF collection.

For more information visit http://www.heartlandsoccer.net/

As always, thank you for lending a helping hand to a foot in need.

Funraiser

2011-06-20T21:36:00.003-04:00

Come out and support Cleats for Bare Feet at Scholar Athlete Academy sponsored fundraiser this Sunday at River Hill Grille between 5pm and 8pm.

Thanks for lending a helping hand to a foot in need.

Thanks to those in Hagerstown

2011-06-20T21:35:00.001-04:00

Thank you to those who donated cleats and other soccer equipment at the Hagerstown tournament this past weekend. Elite tournaments collected a full box of cleats and a full box of brand new balls on behalf of Cleats for Bare Feet.

2011-06-13T11:03:00.002-04:00

Cleats for Bare Feet will be collecting used or old soccer cleats at the Hagerstown Soccer Complex during the Hagerstown SC Mason Dixon Cup.

Location for Drop off: Hagerstown Soccer Complex

Dates: June 18-19, 2011

For more information on the location visit www.elitetournaments.com

Memorial Day Tournament a SUCCESS

2011-06-09T09:34:00.003-04:00

Thank you to Elite Tournaments for running a collection at the annual Memorial Day Tournament in Columbia, Maryland. Also, a huge thank you goes out to everyone who donated equipment at the tournament. Throughout the weekend, over 120 pairs of cleats and indoors were collected.

Stay tuned for updates on where this equipment will be redistributed. Also, if you're team is playing in the Hagerstown Mason Dixon Cup, bring your used equipment for C4BF. As always, thanks for lending a helping hand to a foot in need.

Collections in Frederick, Maryland

2011-06-04T09:41:00.001-04:00

Meghan and Sabrina Ziegler will be collecting donations during the following soccer camps. Donations can be made during these camps, or by contacting them at zieglerfam5@yahoo.com to make other arrangements.

Frederick County Soccer Camp

at Urbana High School

June 20 - 24

Frederick County Premier Soccer Academy

at Oakdale High School

June 27 - 30

Show C4BF and these awesome young ladies some support by donating your old equipment.

Collection at the Columbia Invitational Memorial Day Tournament

2011-05-19T07:49:00.003-04:00

C4BF will be collecting soccer cleats and other used and new soccer equipment May 28-30, 2011 at the Columbia Invitational Memorial Day Tournament, which is coordinated by Elite Tournaments. We will have collection sites at UMBC, OBGC, and Covenant Park. Cleats collected during the tournament will contribute to our next goal of 1,000 cleats for needy young soccer players in the U.S., the Caribbean, and Africa. Lend a helping hand to a foot in need at the Memorial Day Tournament!

Great response so far!

2011-05-10T12:02:00.003-04:00

Thanks to everyone who has been contacting us about getting involved with Cleats for Bare Feet. We appreciate the help and want you to know that you are what keeps C4BF going. Keep the collections coming!

I've posted a little video for entertainment purposes below. Check it out... it's a pretty amazing interpretation of soccer/futbol/football.

Start your own collection!

2011-05-05T09:53:00.008-04:00

Cleats for Bare Feet is currently setting up summer collections throughout the United States. If YOU would like to set up your own collection contact us with your ideas. We have had past collections at places of business, soccer clubs, tournaments, college matches, schools, homes, and practically anywhere else you could imagine.

Collections are ideal summer projects for high school students looking to become involved in something meaningful... not to mention very beneficial for resumes and college applications.

If you are not a high school student, don't worry. There are plenty of opportunities with C4BF to contribute in ways that are personally rewarding and make a visible impact on the lives of children around the world.

As always, thanks for lending a helping hand to a foot in need.

Equipment distributed in Virginia!

2011-05-03T11:39:00.010-04:00

Check out a few pictures we received from some of our equipment recipients down in Virginia. The Virginia Legacy Soccer Club Community Partnership (VLSCCP)received several boxes of equipment for their program in Williamsburg, VA. VLSCCP operates an after-school and weekend program serving almost 300 children. We applaud their efforts to make soccer more inclusive and extend opportunities to the youth in their community.

Updates

2011-02-01T11:53:00.000-05:00

Along with greeNEWit, Cleats for Bare Feet donated 100 pairs of cleats to ONExONE in late January of 2011. ONExONE works with children around the world to improve wellbeing through various projects; including Water, Hunger, Healthcare, Education, and Play. The donated equipment was received by ONExONE in Haiti. For more information on ONExONE efforts in Haiti, visit their website at http://www.onexone.org/haiti_1year.php

Shipment to Haiti

2010-08-05T14:26:00.002-04:00

We met our goal! Yesterday Cleats for Bare Feet shipped out 28 boxes of cleats/uniforms/balls/etc that will make their way down to Haiti. We have collected over 1,000 pairs of cleats and we could not have done it without your support. Thanks and keep on spreading the word.

Frederick County summer soccer camp collections

2010-06-14T22:37:00.002-04:00

Cleats for Bare Feet has been getting more and more grassroots support from individuals doing collections for us. This summer, Meghan and Sabrina Ziegler will be coordinating the following collections:

Frederick County Soccer Camp
at Urbana High School
June 21 - 25

OHS Youth Soccer Camp
at Oakdale High School
July 26 - 29

The collections are during those high schools' summer soccer camps, but we're sure the Ziegler's would be happy to take other cleats, shinguards, balls, and jerseys as well. Email zieglerfam5@yahoo.com with any questions or donations information.

Thunder Collection Date Changed

2010-05-19T19:15:00.002-04:00

The collection with Thunder Soccer Club at Schooley Mill Park has been postponed until MAY 24 (Next Monday) due to the rain this past Monday. Bring your second-hand cleats, balls, shin guards, and jerseys to contribute to a great cause!

Columbia Invitational

2010-05-10T09:57:00.002-04:00

Cleats for Bare Feet will be collecting cleats on May 29/30 at the Columbia Invitational by Elite Tournaments. We will be collecting at the following locations:
- Covenant Park: Saturday and Sunday
- OBGC: Sunday
- Howard Community College, Hawthorne Park, Alpha Ridge, Cedar Lane: Saturday and Sunday

If anyone wants to help with collections let us know.
If you have any questions about making donations contact Keith at kdm8302@uncw.edu

Thunder Soccer Club

2010-05-09T10:43:00.002-04:00

Cleats for Bare Feet has teamed up with Thunder Soccer Club to hold a couple collections at Thunder's club-wide training sessions. We will be collecting on the Monday, May 10 (Tomorrow) and Monday, May 17. Players can bring used cleats and other soccer equipment directly to their practice... we will be set up from 5:30 to 7:30

If you have any questions, please contact Keith at kdm8302@uncw.edu.

Donations to Ignite a Dream

2010-05-03T11:55:00.002-04:00

Today Cleats for Bare Feet shipped a donation of 25 pairs of cleats down to Ignite a Dream in Austin, Texas.

Ignite a dream has soccer programs "that are structured in order to provide encouragement, positive reinforcement, help children set goals, and then provide them with necessary tools to reach those goals." We know the cleats will get great use from the children they work with.

Thanks to everyone who donated and to CV Restoration for helping with shipping.

Memorial Day Tourny: Columbia Invitational

2010-04-20T10:57:00.002-04:00

ATTENTION!

Cleats for Bare Feet will be holding a collection at the Columbia Invitational Memorial Day Tournament. The tournament dates are May 29 to May 31. Games will be played on fields all over Columbia and outside of Columbia. We will be focusing on the following fields...

Covenant Park: Will need people at the collection tables all day
Howard Community College: Will need a couple of people to be there most of the time
Cedar Lane: Will need someone at the collection part time
Cradle Rock School: Will need someone at the collection a couple of times during the day
Alpha Ridge: Will need someone to drop-off and pick up boxes
Jeffers Hill: Will need someone to drop-off and pick up boxes.

If YOU would like to help please email Keith at kdm8302@uncw.edu or call him at (410) 916 - 8338.

Thanks to the Maryland Soccer Program for their collection at their game against Akron... they won 3-1 and collected 2 boxes of cleats for us.

Terps Mens Soccer game Collection

2010-04-15T22:05:00.002-04:00

There will be a Cleats for Bare Feet collection this weekend (Sunday) at the University Of Maryland College Park men's soccer game against Akron at 1pm. Show some support to the team and to the collection effort. Thanks to David Pearman for setting it up.

For more information go to:

http://www.umterps.com/sports/m-soccer/spec-rel/041410aad.html

NEW LOGO!

2010-04-12T17:47:00.002-04:00

SAC Collection!

2010-04-09T10:36:00.003-04:00

The Soccer Association of Columbia has just commenced it's collection for Cleats For Bare Feet. The Collection box is a big wooden bin with fliers located next to fields 1-4 against the tot-lot fence. We have a feeling that this will be a great collection!

We also want to thank the UNCW Mens Team, UNCW Womens Club Team, Cradle Rock School, and Manor Woods Elementary for their participation in collections. Whether a collection is big or small does not matter. Every single pair will result in another child with a smile and an opportunity. Thanks for giving.

TEXAS Women's Open State Cup

2010-04-08T14:27:00.003-04:00

This weekend the Texas Women's Open State Cup will be an "official" drop
off location for Cleats for Bare Feet!

The tournament website is posted below:
http://www.tssas.com/

The tournament Location is:
Northeast Metropolitan Park (NEMP)
2703 Pecan Street
Pflugerville, Texas 78660
http://www.co.travis.tx.us/tnr/parks/northeast_metro.asp

Good luck in your games if you are playing in the tournament. If you're going to be in the area drop by to watch some games and bring some cleats.

Have questions?
email Keith at kdm8302@uncw.edu
or call (410) 916 - 8338

Soccer Saves Lives T-shirts

2010-03-29T18:56:00.003-04:00

I want to promote the student project of a current Oakland Mills High School
senior, Kevin Sullivan.
It's great to support local initiatives, especially when they involve projects that really encourage young people to learn the importance of giving.
We ask that you take the time to ready about Soccer Saves Lives and the impact it will make. Thank you.

The description goes as follows...

"Soccer Saves Lives" is a student run organization out of Oakland Mills High School which aims to educate teens and adults alike on the HIV/AIDS epidemic in West Africa. It is common that West African countries may not be given the same attention as other areas of Africa who have significant problems with HIV/AIDS, however, just in Nigeria, over 2.5 million people have AIDS. The suffering is real but the possibility for education and prevention of HIV/AIDS becomes increasingly more likely if we act now. Soccer Saves Lives uses the international connector of people, cultures, and races, Soccer, to help raise money and supplies for children in West Africa. With the help of our community, and particularly the soccer community, Soccer Saves Lives can provide the resources and education our brothers and sisters in West Africa need in order to live HIV/AIDS free.

They are selling T-shirts!
As part of the Soccer Saves Lives initiative, 100% of the money from T-shirt sales will go to Hospitals and Youth Organizations in West Africa who can provide direct aid for those most in need. THANK YOU for your support and let us as a community put a Kick Against HIV/AIDS!

T-shirts are only $10. Buy one to wear around town, while practicing soccer, or to sleep in. Buy a whole team set for your intramural teams, summer leagues, etc.

Collections Collections COLLECTIONS!

2010-03-20T14:33:00.004-04:00

Hello everyone,

This weekend we have boxes set up at Covenant Park for the Baltimore Mania tournament by Elite Tournaments. If anyone wants to donate cleats the boxes will be located right next to the tournament tent.

Additionally, we have recently picked up from our collection boxes at the Soccer American store locations... we were thrilled to be picking up 3 full boxes of cleats, shin guards, balls, and shirts. Thank you to everyone who donated. The boxes are still there so if you still want to donate cleats just drop by the stores.

Enjoy the weather everyone.

Reliable grassroots connections

2010-03-09T19:37:00.002-05:00

I just saw this article on The New York Times website and was inspired to write a blog entry. Unfortunately not all the charitable contributions send to needy individuals throughout the world reaches hungry mouths. It's possible that half the food aid sent to Somalia is sold off my corrupt officials, including radical Islamic militants and even United Nations World Food Program employees! Instead of children suffering from kwashiorkor and other malnutrition illnesses being nourished with the food provided by intergovernmental and non-governmental agencies, greedy individuals feel the need to profit. Hungry mouths stay hungry, more people continue to die from starvation, and immorality is fueled by good-samaritanship.

Cleats For Bare Feet may not be putting food in the stomachs of the famished, but the relationship remains the same. Soccer cleats sent abroad can fall into unfortunate hands and not reach the kids for whom they were meant. Instead of becoming the next Pelé, children risk continuing to kick makeshift soccer balls with their bare skin. That's why Cleats For Bare Feet has been doing all that we can to find reliable, trustworthy grassroots organizations and individuals to whom we can send soccer cleats domestically and abroad. We have connections in the United States, of course, but also in Kenya, Côte d'Ivoire, and will hopefully soon have more contacts in South Africa, Senegal, Morocco, Brazil, Costa Rica, and Vietnam. Please, if you know of any trustworthy person or organization who would like to be on the receiving end of some recycled, secondhand soccer cleats for needy children, do not hesitate to contact us!

Jonah
jmeyers1@umd.edu

P.S. Thanks so much again to the March Mania Tournament put on by the Amanda Post Memorial in Columbia, Maryland. We collected over 120 pairs of cleats last weekend during the boys tournament that will soon be donated, and we'll be collecting again this coming weekend, March 13th and 14th, during the girls section of the tournament. Please stop by our station, ask questions if you have any, and donate!

Columbia Flier Article

2010-03-05T00:02:00.002-05:00

Thank you to the Columbia Flier and columnist Stan Ber for including Cleats for Bare Feet this week.

The article is in the sports column of this weeks flier.

We appreciate the help they have given us to get the word out.

- Thanks for lending a helping hand to a foot in need

Park School and Friends School

2010-03-03T15:26:00.003-05:00

I would like to extend a BIG thank you to Park School of Baltimore and Friends School of Baltimore.

Both schools recently finished their cleat collections. Each school was able to collect around 30 pairs of cleats.

Every collection, no matter how small, is helping us out. This is really the grass roots way of going about making a difference.

To all of the schools, clubs, and businesses still holding collections... Keep up the good work.

Check out our blurb on Potomac Soccer Association's homepage.
http://www.potomacsoccer.org/index.html

March Mania Tournament

2010-02-27T11:16:00.002-05:00

Cleats for Bare Feet will be collecting at the...

Amanda Post Memorial

March Mania Torunament

Boys Weekend March 6-7, 2010

Girls Weekend March 13-14, 2010

There will be various collection boxes situated throughout the complex.

Anyone with a question during the tournament can speak with a Cleats for Bare Feet representative with a collection box.

Anyone who has questions before the tournament can contact Keith at kdm8302@uncw.edu or (410) 916 -8338.

Thank you to Elite Tournaments for allowing us to collect cleats at the tournament and for spreading the word.

Good luck to all the players!

Current Drop-off locations

2010-02-26T14:08:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone,
We have been making some serious progress with Cleats for Bare Feet and wanted to share some information on drop-off locations with you. The following are our current drop-off locations:

CURRENT DROP-OFF LOCATIONS:

Keith's house: Columbia MD area
9502 Angelina Circle Columbia MD 21045

Payam's house: Columbia MD area
4982 Dalton Drive Columbia MD 21045

Justin's house(s): Wilmington NC and Newtown CT areas
Call me at 203.788.2194 & I'll let you know!!

Jonah's house: College Park area
4813 Ruatan St Berwyn Heights, MD 20740

Soccer American: Both Locations
6656 Dobbin Rd. Columbia MD 21045
3833 Plyers Mill Rd. Kensington MD 20895

Molly Shea at JMU: Harrisonburg, VA area
shea2mm@jmu.edu
Call me at 443-803-4389

Cradle Rock School
6700 Cradlerock Way
Columbia, MD 21045-4807

Manor Woods Elementary School
6101 Old Dobbin Lane, Columbia, MD

1379 Store Location
2727 Exposition Blvd., Suite 121
Austin, Texas 78703

Jill Collins house: Austin, TX area
13405 Country Lake Drive in Steiner Ranch
Austin Texas

More locations COMING VERY SOON! Watch out for a newspaper article in the Columbia Flier.

News for C4BF

2010-02-15T22:54:00.003-05:00

It's been a while since the last blog post, and Cleats for Bare Feet activity got slightly hindered by the blizzards on the East coast, but now things are back under way. The Cradlerock School and Manor Woods Elementary School in Howard County, MD now have collection boxes, and news about the initiative has been sent home to parents. Plus, more schools in the area are about to start collections.

We are now collecting cleats for the organization Virginia Legacy Soccer Club Community Partnership, a group that works to make playing soccer possible for kids in the Williamsburg, VA area. VLSC coordinates soccer programs for over 300 children per year. We are hoping to send them approximately 100 pairs of soccer cleats by the end of February. The cleats will be redistributed to primarily 1st to 4th grade students in and around Williamsburg, VA.

More to come soon!

Benefit party at Yale

2010-01-23T19:14:00.003-05:00

After too long of a break on the Cleats for Bare Feet blog, there's some really good news! The all-female athlete honors society Subrosa at Yale University and the group Party for a Cause will be throwing us a benefit party at a local bar in New Haven, Connecticut. The groups may pair up with a fraternity associated with the soccer team and harness their party powers to raise us some money! That money will allow us to offset the high cost of shipping secondhand soccer cleats domestically and overseas. Although details are not yet concrete, the party will probably be on March 24th, following the Yale spring break. More specifics to come once the party is planned.

Maurice the footballer

2010-01-08T11:06:00.002-05:00

The picture below is of a second-grade boy named Maurice. He lives in the West Nairobi province of Kenya; Keith and Payam met him at the orphanage where they volunteered for several months. He is very athletic and loves to play soccer (he calls it football). As shown, he has no shoes to play in, so he plays barefoot. Despite not owning a pair of soccer cleats, he can juggle the ball really well for a second-grader. With shoes he might be able to go out for one of the local soccer teams, like the one pictured at the top of this blog. He is one of Cleats for Bare Feet's many inspirations; because of dedicated kids like Maurice, Cleats for Bare Feet was born to make a difference in their lives, supplying them with sports equipment that we take for granted and usually throw out once we grow out of them. Maurice and his peers will soon receive soccer cleats that will allow them to continue their healthy lives and fun! Thanks so much for your help and attention to this point, and please stay posted.

Popularity is up and collections are up and running

2010-01-06T20:54:00.003-05:00

Lots of good news from Cleats for Bare Feet:

In only 5 days our Facebook group has almost 700 members! People have shown a lot of interest, either by asking how they can donate cleats or help out in other ways.

Speaking of cleat donations, collection centers are under way! We now have collection boxes in Calvert Hall and the Park School in Baltimore, MD. We will soon have collection centers in some Maryland club teams and through the Soccer Association of Columbia, as well as in some Howard County Maryland public schools and Maryland universities. Cleats for Bare Feet is also expanding out its Maryland base. We will soon be collecting through club teams in Virginia, Connecticut, and North Carolina, the University of North Carolina in Wilmington, and McGill University in Montreal, Canada.

Meanwhile, Cleats for Bare Feet is connecting with organizations in various countries where we hope to ship soccer cleats. Connections have been established in Kenya, Côte d'Ivoire, and the United States, and other recipients are being worked on in South Africa, Costa Rica, Senegal, and possibly Vietnam.

Keep checking in for updates, and find those old cleats hiding your garages and basements to make another kid's life that much more fun!

Under Way!

2010-01-03T10:26:00.002-05:00

Cleats for Bare Feet has collected its first couple pairs of cleats! Collection centers are still being established, but cleats can still be donated before these centers are up. If you would like to donate cleats, you can bring them or send them to one of the following addresses:

Keith Meyers
Cleats for Bare Feet
9502 Angelina Circle
Columbia, MD 21045

or

Payam Sohrabi
Cleats for Bare Feet
4982 Dalton Drive
Columbia, MD 21045

Introduction to Cleats for Bare Feet

2009-12-30T19:21:00.004-05:00

Thank you for taking the time to read about this initiative. “Cleats for Bare Feet” is a project stemming from the need to simply do something good. It was recently established upon my return from Kenya in early December. The ultimate goal is to collect both girls and boys soccer cleats and send them to footballers around the world. Soccer is not only a popular sport, but a medium through which many valuable lessons can be learned. It can provide leadership for those with no direction, motivation for those with nothing else going for them, and a way to interact with people of all backgrounds. Since many disadvantaged children do not get to have these experiences in other ways, we figured soccer cleats might just give them that opportunity. We are asking for nothing else but a simple donation of your second-hand soccer cleats. We are aiming to have over 1,000 pairs of cleats to send to countries such as Kenya in East Africa, the Ivory Coast in West Africa, and even certain areas of the United States.
Thank you for lending a helping hand to a foot in need.

Sincerely,

Keith Meyers
Coordinator
Cleats for Bare Feet

Cleats for Bare Feet has had its first meeting and is in the process of finding recipients for cleat donations, funding to handle shipping costs, and instituting drop-off and collection centers. We will be sending cleats to many grassroots organizations, including (so far) Shangilia and other similar organizations in Kenya, Senegal, the United States, etc. We intend to expand or base of sponsors, partners and supporters to include more schools, soccer clubs, collegiate and professional teams, and, most importantly, dedicated individuals. Current sponsors include greeNewit, Inc., The Scholar Athlete Academy, and the Maryland Food Collective, Inc. To become a sponsor, partner, collection center, or to simply donate a pair of cleats, please contact one of the following people:
Keith Meyers: kdm8302@uncw.edu
Payam Sohrabi: bamboozleFCB@yahoo.com
Jonah Meyers: jmeyers1@umd.edu
Cory Marcon: cmarc20@gmail.com
Montrey Robinson: mar7272@uncw.edu

Have a great new year!