Emma from Ellicott City, Maryland supported PPI in honor of her friends’ bat mitzvahs

October 17, 2011

Emma (left) at her friend Brooke's (right) bat mitzvah.

Many students in the US have chosen to support PPI for their bar and bat mitzvahs, asking family and friends to donate to the organization in honor of their special day. However, as Emma from Ellicott City, Maryland proves, you don’t have to be a bar or bat mitzvah to commemorate the event with PPI. Emma, a Quaker Christian,  made a donation to PeacePlayers as gifts to three of her friends in honor of their bat mitzvahs. To learn a bit more about Emma’s project, please read the interview below:

Hi Emma, please tell our readers a little bit about yourself:

I am a 13 year old Middle School student in the 8th grade.  In my spare time, I love to read, act in plays when I have the opportunity, and hang out with my friends.

How did you find out about PeacePlayers International (PPI)?

I found out about PeacePlayers through my Quaker Meeting when one of the founders (Brendan Tuohey) came to talk to the first day (Sunday school) school students.

Why did you decide to give donations to PPI for your friends’ bat mitzvahs?

I decided to donate to PeacePlayers as a gift for my friends’ bat mitzvahs because of their work in Israel and Palestine. I thought it was a great charity that directly related to the event. I hoped it would interest my friends and make them more aware about ways they can help other children to have a more peaceful and happy life.

What have been your friends’ reactions to their presents?

Many girls my age a really into material things, such as clothes and jewelry, so I was surprised at how many girls came up to me after their bat mitzvah and said how cool they thought my gift was. I don’t think many of them knew much about the conflict in Israel and Palestine, and they really appreciated getting to learn about it and what people are doing to help.  They were able to relate to the situation after learning some about Israel in preparation for their bat mitzvah.

Do you have any advice for others that want to do what you have done?

Donating to PeacePlayers was very easy. My parents were able to donate online. The staff of PeacePlayers was very nice and put together amazing packets explaining what they do, and I was able to give them to my friends. The gift was stress free and I didn’t have to worry about getting a different present for each girl.

PPI would like to thank Emma for her support! We truly appreciate the creative way Emma found to celebrate this important rite of passage with her Jewish friends.

If you would like to donate to PeacePlayers International in honor of your friend’s upcoming event, please click here and designate your gift in the comments section. You may also contact Hannah Sloss at hsloss@peaceplayersintl.org.

Comments Off | Bar/Bat Miztvah, Middle and High School | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by peaceplayersintl

Deal Middle School’s Give Back Day Supports PPI

June 28, 2011

On June 7th, Alice Deal Middle School in Washington, DC held their annual “Give Back Day,” a day to raise awareness about service and support student-selected causes. Deal’s 6th grade students voted to support PeacePlayers International as one of the projects for Give Back Day by holding a basketball tournament. The 6th graders held the tournament in their school’s gym and invited radio DJ Aladdin to emcee the event; ultimately raising close to $500 for PPI. The event was so successsful, Deal plans to partner with PPI again for a school-wide fundraiser this fall. We would like to commend Deal Middle School’s incredible culture of service and thank the 6th graders for supporting our mission of using basketball to bridge divide, develop leaders, and change perceptions around the world. Thank you!

If you would like to get involved and support PPI by hosting an event at your school, please contact Hannah Sloss at hsloss@peaceplayersintl.org.

Comments Off | Middle and High School, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by peaceplayersintl

Thanks to Zac Emanuel and the Emanuel Family!

January 18, 2011

If you’ve been watching this space much recently, you’ve probably read about one of several recent Bar or Bat Mitzvah projects that children across the U.S. and Canada have organized to benefit PeacePlayers International.

Zac Emanuel

Today, we’d like to highlight one of the most successful such initiatives that PPI has seen to date, organized by Zac Emanuel of Providence, Rhode Island. Seeking an opportunity to combine several of his passions, Zac and his parents learned about PPI through a website called The Mitzvah Bowl, which highlights all kinds of potential Bar and Bat Mitzvah projects for socially minded young people.

Zac’s now in the process of organizing a 3-on-3 tournament in his hometown to raise funds and awareness for PPI. In preparation for the event, he set up his own fundraising page on Razoo.com, and pointed his friends and family there to give them an opportunity to support PPI’s work.

“As Golda Meir said, ‘We will have peace with the Arabs when they love their children more than they hate us.’ That works for both sides…It is this effort – to educate and get rid of hatred through basketball - that lead me to choose [PPI] as my Mitzvah project. Your donations will help bring these kids together to show them that fighting is not the answer. Your donations will help bring peace to these areas, perhaps now, and definitely in the future, when the kids that have experienced PeacePlayers International teach their kids.”

- Zac Emanuel, on his Razoo fundraising page

After only a few weeks, the response has been truly overwhelming. After launching just after the New Year, by January 18th Zac has raised well $4,859 for PPI! That’s a fantastic contribution, nearly enough to support one team for an entire semester – and with his tournament scheduled for the Spring, he’s not done yet.

The video Zac chose to embed on his project page.

PPI is deeply grateful to Zac, his parents, his family – which generously agreed to sign on as a “Title Sponsor” for the project – and all those who have decided to help this amazing young leader realize his vision.

We look forward to updating you again on this project as it continues to progress!

Comments Off | Bar/Bat Miztvah, Middle and High School | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by peaceplayersintl

From a Project to a Passion

January 5, 2011

The Shane Family (Photo: Canadian Jewish News)

Due to his love for basketball and desire for world peace, Daniel Shane, a boy from Toronto, Ontario, chose to team up with PeacePlayers International for a project to accompany his Bar Miztvah.

Reports the Canadian Jewish News:

“I was trying to find an organization that combines my favourite thing to do, which is basketball, and create a difference in the world in some way,” he said. “I did a bunch of research with my dad, and after a few weeks of searching, we found Peace Players International.”

Since beginning his relationship with PPI, Daniel has collected $2,000 and 80 basketballs, which he wishes to send directly to the Middle East.

Daniel has been involved with PPI in more than one way. When PPI heard about his interest, they put him in touch with three children in the program in the Middle East, which Daniel has been in close contact with through e-mail. He’ll travel to Israel later this year to meet his new friends.

Daniel also made a presentation to his school about PPI’s work, which you can see here.

For more on his story, visit the Canadian Jewish News.

Comments Off | Bar/Bat Miztvah, Middle and High School, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by peaceplayersintl

Thanks to Vance Walter and Gonzaga College High School!

October 25, 2010

This Saturday, October 23rd, Vance Walter, a junior at Gonzaga College High School, organized a three-on-three tournament to benefit PeacePlayers International. This year is the tournament’s second annual installment, after Vance’s older brother, Donnie, pioneered the event last year.

Gonzaga College High School is a Jesuit-administered private school just a few blocks from the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, DC.

Vance pulled together 14 teams of three or four players each from throughout Gonzaga, freshmen through seniors, each making a donation of $15 per head. Community businesses chipped in with food and drinks, t-shirts and more. At the end of the day, all proceeds went to support PeacePlayers International’s programs around the world using basketball to unite and educate children in divided communities.

Gonzaga reliably has one of the best high school basketball programs in the country, and it showed in the quality of play on Saturday.

In all, the event raised $910 for PPI, surpassing last year’s total of $526. That’s almost enough to support two children in our program for an entire year!

For photos from the event, check out our Sixthman page on Picasa.

PPI is extremely grateful to Vance, Gonzaga College High School and everyone who helped out with the event: Patrick and Jack McCarty, Curt Gupton, the Walter Family, the Gupton Family, the McCarty Family, the Gonzaga Mothers Club, Adventures in Advertising, Gupton Associates, and The Italian Store.


The group entering the quarterfinals. In all, nearly 50 players came out to support PPI.

Comments Off | Middle and High School | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by peaceplayersintl

B’Nai Mitzvahs for Peace

August 16, 2010

Toma Beit-Arie is just one young Jewish boy or girl that have supported PeacePlayers International with their Bar or Bat Mitzvah.

Sparked by David Lasday, one of our former Fellows, PeacePlayers International’s always been thrilled to receive the support of one community that’s extra special to us — Bar and Bat Mitzvahs:

Swoosh! Nothing but net! The Arab and Israeli slap a high-five. This unlikely scene is duplicated on basketball courts throughout Israel. Through a program called PeacePlayers International, more than 2,000 Israeli Arabs and Israeli Jews have teamed up on the court to promote peace among their peoples…Halfway around the world, in New Rochelle, New York, Zach Scheinfeld – a basketball fanatic – was thrilled to discover last year that his favorite sport was being used to build peace…As he approached the age of becoming a bar mitzvah, Zach decided to sponsor an all-star basketball tournament to help PeacePlayers raise money.

Leah Haberman is working to support PeacePlayers International right now as she prepares for her Bat Miztvah this winter.

That story, from BabagaNewz in 2008, is just one example. While Zach worked on behalf of PeacePlayers International in New Rochelle, New York, Sam and Eli Sachs did the same in Beverly Hills, California. Ayden Marcus did too, in nearby Tarzana. Meanwhile, Drew Karchmer organized a raffle in Nashville, Tennessee, and Andrew Fink put together two events in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Toma Beit-Arie, from Brookline, Massachusetts, managed to visit PeacePlayers International in Israel after his project. Right now, Leah Haberman‘s working hard to prepare for her big day in Poway, California, and fitting in time to give PeacePlayers International a hand too.

And those are just a few of many. These service projects derive from a responsibility for what’s known as tikkun olam in Hebrew – “repairing the world” – and we’re proud to know that the families of these outstanding young people see our work in that light. We’re honored to be included in these special occasions.

If you or someone you know is interested in supporting PeacePlayers International with their Bar or Bat Mitzvah, contact Hannah Sloss at hsloss@peaceplayersintl.org.

Comments Off | Bar/Bat Miztvah, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by peaceplayersintl

PeacePlayers International Would Like to Thank STAMP at McGill University

April 12, 2010

PPI was thrilled to recently hear from Aaron Bilek, the Director of Students Taking Action for Medicine and Peace (STAMP) at McGill University. STAMP is McGill’s grassroots activist organization at the medical and dental faculties, open to the participation of all, that encourages students to take action to address important world problems.

The McGill community taking in the vernissage.

This January, STAMP held a vernissage on McGill’s campus, exhibiting the winners of a photography contest called “Picturing Peace.” The winners were made into a calendar, with all proceeds going to PeacePlayers International. Besides raising awareness among the McGill community, STAMP raised $650 (Canadian) for PeacePlayers International’s work in the Middle East – that’s almost enough to fund two children in our program for an entire year!

PeacePlayers International sincerely thanks STAMP for their support, and wishes them the best of luck in their future projects. If you’d like more information about STAMP, you can email them here.

The winners of "Picturing Peace."

Comments Off | College | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by peaceplayersintl

Thank you to the St. Thomas More School!

February 9, 2010

Want to support PeacePlayers International? Check out the end of this post to learn how you can help PPI bridge divides around the world for free with just two simple clicks.


View Larger Map

PeacePlayers International would like to thank the St. Thomas More School, in Oakdale, Connecticut, for its longtime support. St. Thomas More School’s ties to PPI go back to 2007, when the school held the first of what has thus far been four annual fundraisers on behalf of PeacePlayers International.

Since that first event, St. Thomas More School has raised over $3,000 to support PeacePlayers International’s work worldwide. To put that in perspective, $3,000 can roughly cover the year-round costs of eight participants in Israel and the West Bank. The St. Thomas More School Community’s generosity has allowed four more Arab and four more Jewish young people to play together and learn together in pursuit of a more peaceful future.

Matt Quinn in his PPI-ME days, horsing around with an integrated team from Beit Shemesh and Esawiah.

The efforts at St. Thomas More have been led by Jere Quinn, a math teacher and the Varsity basketball team’s head coach, who has “honed the basketball and life skills of top players for three decades,” according to the Hartford Courant.

St. Thomas More has also played a more direct role in our programs by way of one of its alumni, Matt Quinn (Jere’s son), who played a leading role as a PeacePlayers International Fellow in the Middle East and Northern Ireland. You can read Matt’s thoughts about his experience in Northern Ireland here (“The American Director,” at the left).

Want to take a simple action to support PeacePlayers International?  We’re now eligible for inclusion in the latest edition of CauseWorld, a mobile app that lets you earn “karmas” – badges backed up by donations from Citi and Kraft – for your favorite causes just by visiting your own local hangouts. Vote for PPI to be one of three new Causes included in this round. (You can find us fourth from the bottom of the list on the right.) There’s no registration required and, with just a few seconds of your time, you’ll help others support PPI for a lifetime!

Comments Off | Middle and High School, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by peaceplayersintl

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.