By: Justin Boone
jboone@ticats.ca
Send your Ticats questions or comments to jboone@ticats.ca to let me know what you think.
A Rare Opportunity
Have you ever been watching TV and come across a scene in a third world country, with some random celebrity trying to convince you to do your part and help the people of that nation who are less fortunate than you? And have you ever changed the channel without hesitation?
I know I have.
While you have compassion for those who are suffering, it’s difficult to relate to their situation and let’s face it Sportscentre starts in ten minutes.
“Before I went down there, I had heard the commercials with Rod Black and people talking about it from World Vision,” said Jesse Lumsden, who was offered a rare opportunity through the humanitarian organization to visit El Salvador. “I saw it on TV and thought that it must be rough, but it’s not anything compared to getting down there and seeing it. You’re in sensory overload, the sounds around you, the smells you’re taking in, what you’re seeing, and most of all how you feel.”
“I feel very lucky that I got to go down there, and I got to help some people, I got to hand people bags of groceries and be in schools and help teach and play soccer with some of the kids. The experience all-around was life changing,” he explained, as we spoke in the locker room at Ivor Wynne Stadium.
In 2001, I was also fortunate enough to have an opportunity to see a third world country first hand. I traveled through Haiti and came away with the same revelations that Jesse is talking about so passionately now. The same thoughts and feelings that anyone put in that situation comes away with.
“Why not help?” said Jesse. “We are very, very fortunate where we are and it’s almost too hard to explain with words. You can’t compare the way you live. If I have 20 dollars in my pocket, I might go down to sub shop and get a sub and put the change in my pocket and forget about it. That change could feed a family in El Salvador for a week.”
In the last year, Jesse has become a leader on the field, someone who his teammates can come to and depend on. As his responsibility on the team grew, you could see an evolution taking place from a young rookie fresh off a storied career at McMaster, to a man committed to improving the lives of those around him.
When he speaks about his trip it’s not about guilt, which is an emotion often evoked by those campaigns. It’s not about some sense of humanly duty that you are expected to follow through with. It’s not even about Jesse, or Rick Campanelli or any number of the celebrities and sports figures trying to be catalysts for change.
It’s something we should do because we can. It’s well within our power to become a modern day Robin Hood, taking from our own plentiful pockets and giving only a small amount to people who could use the help.
“It’s about getting the information out there to people,” explained Jesse. “I’m going to sponsor a child, my parents are going to sponsor a child, and my dad’s business is going to sponsor a child. When you’re a sponsor, it doesn’t just give to the individual person, but it helps the whole village around them. Once you get enough money you can dig a well for water, or you can build a housing project with brick homes.”
I will leave the final words to Jesse, who has backed up his trip to El Salvador by discussing his experience at various events across the region, and promoting the 2600 campaign, which is intended to raise awareness among local residents about issues affecting children in developing countries and to encourage them to sponsor children in need through World Vision. The deadline for the program is March 15.
“When World Vision isn’t involved, people are living in something that most people have as sheds in their backyard with dirt floors. No filtration systems, no electricity. Running water may be miles away. People are working together to get food for an entire community around them. Kids running around with no shoes on their feet. They have the opportunity to go to school down there but there are rules. First of all, you have to have shoes. Secondly, you have to have certain books and the books cost 50 cents but they can’t afford to go. That’s where it all comes back to this. You sponsor those kids and you get them the education and give them a chance to improve their lives and the future of their country.”
For more information on the work being done by World Vision you can visit their website www.worldvision.ca
Easier Said Than Done
(Quote of the Week)
“You can’t put a gun to somebody’s head and make them do something. I’ve already made it clear that if it gets to camp without a deal done then I’ll play it out. If that’s how they want to take the situation then it is what it is.”
Blue Bombers quarterback Kevin Glenn, the East nominee for Most Outstanding Player, seems to be a little displeased over his current contract. Glenn is seeking a raise, but reports have the two sides $75,000 apart. Last season Glenn threw for 5,000 yards and had 25 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
In Case You Blinked
(News from the Week)
Even if you were buried under the snow this week, I’m sure you caught wind of a certain Roughrider quarterback being traded to a certain Ticats divisional rival. Let’s welcome Kerry Joseph back to the East Division. The move will add even more excitement to the already bitter Ontario feud.
