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Team Canada Needs Help - NABI 2015

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Hi there. My name is Neil Barry and I am the Head Coach  of a basketball team from the Northwest Territories in Canada's Arctic. Our team is composed solely of Indigenous athletes (First Nations, Inuit, Metis, Inuvialiut) from various small communities across the North. We are raising funds to travel to the Native American Basketball Invitational in Phoenix, Arizona which is more than 2500 miles (4500km) away for some players.

Many of our players live in tiny communities which are "fly-in" (only accessible by small planes, no roads) and have very little infrastructure or access to the outside world. Travel is very expensive due to the vast distances and high cost of shipping fuel and supplies.

The NABI tournament is exclusively for native athletes and focuses on education and goal-setting with an education fair, daily mandatory educational sessions and social/cultural activities throughout. Our team plans on performing cultural demonstrations in addition to playing in the tournament. Also we are likely to be the only team from Canada in attendance at this 128 team tournament.

To take 13 athletes and 2 coaches from the NWT to Arizona will cost approximately $30,000. Most of the cost is for airfare as half of our team resides above the Arctic Circle where travel in and out is ultra expensive. The rest is for accomodations, vehicle rental, travel insurance, uniforms, group activities and meals.

Right now we are busy raising funds in our home communities and so far have manged to raise between $10,000 and $12,000. With 7 weeks to go and the low value of the Canadian dollar in the US we are a bit nervous at this point. Any assistance is appreciated so we can give these kids an experience that will teach them so much and memories that will last a lifetime.

Thanks for any help you can give.

Sincerely

Coach Barry and the 2015 Team NWT

Donations 

  • Shaun Doherty
    • $50
    • 9 yrs

Organizer

Neil Barry
Organizer
Fort Simpson, NT

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