It is not uncommon for sports organizations to raise money to buy themselves new uniforms or to cover tournament travel costs.
But a Coquitlam lacrosse team has a different goal in its fundraising.
The under-14 Adanacs field lacrosse squad is hosting a bottle drive on Nov. 19 in order to raise $500 to buy a cow for a village in Uganda.
The cow will produce about 30 litres of milk a week that can be given to local school kids who do not have access to healthy dairy foods.
"We're wanting to raise awareness about child poverty in Africa and hope that other people will get behind us," said Megin Alvarez, a spokesperson for Meaningful Volunteer, the organization spearheading the initiative. "The boys know how lucky they are to be in a stable environment and a comfortable lifestyle in a loving home."
As part of the charity effort, the players will get a chance to connect with kids their age on the other side of the world.
Meaningful Volunteer has been helping a small village in Uganda called Buyaya for several years. Last spring, the organization set up a solar panel at a school in order to bring electricity to the community.
The Coquitlam Adanacs event takes place between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Nov. 19 at the Coquitlam Return-It Depot (2554 Barnet Hwy.). Those who wish to donate can bring their cans and bottles to the depot and mention the Coquitlam Adanacs field lacrosse under-14 boys team and the money will be donated to the initiative.
For more information go to www.meaningfulvolunteer.org.
gmckenna@tricitynews.com
