Both the Waterhouse Football Club and the surrounding communities benefitted from a generous donation of football gear and equipment on Friday, thanks largely to the kind spirit of the 12-year-old niece of the Chairman Bruce Bicknell.

Anabel Moore, who plays for the Crossfire Premier Football Club in Redmond, located just outside Seattle, Washington in the United States, organised a drive within her club and community that redounded to the benefit of one of Jamaica’s top football clubs.

Moore explained how the initiative, that has led to many young lives being touched, came about.

“The greater Seattle area is a hotbed of youth sports, soccer in particular. We have tens of thousands of registered youth players in our region, each requiring team kits, cleats and equipment annually. But players grow, and parents often find themselves throwing away equipment in like-new condition simply because it is too small or because their children move to a different club with different uniforms.

“Our goal is to make Seattle’s surplus equipment available to kids in need. We believe no child should be prevented from playing football because of a lack of equipment — it is simply too beautiful a game. Football has transformed my life; nothing brings me more joy than seeing more children able to play and fall in love with the game like I have,” Moore reasoned.

It was the sight of lots of equipment going to waste that spurred the pre-teen into action.

“After seeing the enormous amount of high-quality equipment being thrown away, my family and I decided that something needed to be done. Crossfire Premier Football Club in Redmond is a club with approximately 75 teams.

“With the organisation’s leadership support, we held a week-long drive at Crossfire’s practice facilities for gently used equipment. Sixty hours of organising and collecting resulted in over 600 items donated: 138 pairs of boots, 56 balls, 154 jerseys — many in near mint condition. We were even fortunate enough to receive several pairs of top-of-the-line, brand new cleats,” Moore revealed.

“We contacted family member Bruce Bicknell of Tank-Weld Metals, who we know is supremely dedicated to giving back to the community. He generously offered to transport the items from the States to Jamaica and to distribute them,” she added.

Images of the children receiving the equipment were immediately sent back to Anabel, who was overwhelmed by the response.

“It is heart warming to learn of the impact this donation has had on kids in the Waterhouse community. Hopefully this is the first of more such collaborations,” Moore noted.

Bicknell, who was on hand to oversee the distribution on Friday, was very thankful for the contribution to the club and community.

“Her club shipped boots, a lot of jerseys and balls, and many other things that are in very good condition, so we thank her and the club very much. We have distributed the stuff among the kids in the community and hopefully she can send more in the future. Hundreds of kids have benefited from her generosity,” Bicknell declared.

Currently, the Waterhouse Women’s Football team sits atop their zone in the Jamaica Football Federation Women’s League and Bicknell pointed out that they, too, have benefitted directly from the donations.

“Our women’s football team will also benefit from this. They are going to get a lot of boots and jerseys and training gear. They are doing very well; they have trained hard all season and the results are there, so I wish them all the best.”

Youth development manager at the club, Keith Sailsman, said that the donation will “boost” the youth programme which he is in charge of.

“It’s an initiative coordinated by the club chairman, Bruce Bicknell, to put some seriousness around the youth programme at Waterhouse football club. It’s a boost for the club youth department.”

Drews Avenue Primary, which is a stone’s throw away from the club, also benefitted from a sizable donation of gear and equipment.