Local residents collecting soccer balls for Gambia

Two Dane County residents are collecting soccer balls to send to Gambia.

Tom Vergeront of Sun Prairie and Alieu Njai of Cottage Grove are collecting balls to ship to Njai’s native country of Gambia.

Vergeront, a WIAA soccer official, and Njai, who has supply chain experience, met at work and the two “had a great idea” to collect soccer balls, deflate them, and ship them to areas where children typically have to fashion their own soccer balls.

“African children often do not have proper soccer balls,” a document sent in by Vergeront said. “Often they will make soccer balls with a lot of plastic bags bound by twine or from latex from rubber trees that they will form into a ball. We propose collecting old, used soccer balls from teams, clubs and individuals, deflate them, package the balls and send the balls to Gambia, West Africa.”

Vergeront said he is asking local club coaches to support the project as a team-building activity.

“Here we can give the coaches a service project for their team,” Vergeront said in an email. “The students will learn leadership, project management and have fun. They will gather old balls, deflate them and send them to Alieu or myself. Also to consider are old ball air pumps and pump needles.”

Vergeront and Njai will then put them on a container and Njai will send them to West Africa.

Soccer balls can be collected, deflated and sent to:

Tom Vergeront

1546 Kuhle Drive

Sun Prairie, WI 53590

or

Alieu Njai

111 Woodview Drive

Cottage Grove, WI 53527

If the supply is large enough, you may contact Njai or Vergeront for a pick up. You can reach them by email at alieu.njai@yahoo.com or tomvergeront@hotmail.com.