A Step Ahead Chess

Hurricane Dorian slammed the island of Grand Bahama for 40 hours straight, and the times ahead will not be easy for many on a tiny island our family calls home.


Shawn Sorsby, Math Teacher and Chess Coach:
"I have worked with youth in Grand Bahama since 2015 and many of my students and chess players have traveled to not only compete, but win in chess tournaments internationally. These young players are leaders in their community, are well mannered, respectable and many are straight A students. Grand Bahama has become my home, and my students, as I have witnessed them grow, have become my extended family."

Dr. Chandia Sorsby is born and bred Bahamian:
"Grand Bahama island is the place where I learned to walk and the village that taught me to fly. I may have left The Bahamas, but The Bahamas has never left me. It's gold, aqua and black threads are engrained in the very fiber of my being. No matter where life has taken me, in my pursuit to be a pediatrician, I have always returned home, to my first love."

Now imagine the heartbreak felt as the waves washed over what was once our happy place. Imagine the trauma of seeing the place we call home, struggle under the weight of an angry tide. Imagine the pain felt when that same unforgiving tide swept over memories, and landmarks, and family, some not to surface again. 




Now imagine being there, seeing firsthand, the weight of the winds, hearing the ear- ringing howl in the air, feeling the depth of the darkness, uncertain of the destruction that looms and your terror rising as the waters do too.

Now imagine the innocence lost, the haunting memories and the trauma that lingers long after the winds cease to blow.  

This innocence, this haunting, this trauma belongs to our children - the children we once were, the children we have watched grow, the children we have doctored and the children that will now struggle to fly. They too feel the heartbreak. Now in the aftermath of the storm, they struggle to pick up the pieces without electricity, without clean, running water, without any morsel of normalcy and the puzzle board itself has been warped by the flooding waters. 


After reaching out to past students and youth we have worked with in the past, we have identified several families that are in dire need of help. These are amazing children that are close to our hearts, and some have lost everything. Our goal is to meet their immediate needs now, then help them rebuild. 



Chandia has already begun raising funds for her family and neighbors to get ahead of relief efforts, and those contributions have already helped families in need on the island of Grand Bahama: 

Hurricane Dorian Relief. Bahamas Strong 

Thank you!!

But please, let us not forget the children!
We hope we can continue this effort, as we work together to adopt these families.

What items are needed?

Clothing
toddler sizes (3T, 4T)
girl sizes (9/10, 16/18 and 16 pants)
boys sizes (small, medium and 18 shirts)
women sizes (2/3)

Water 
Canned Goods
Can openers (manual)
Diapers 
Baby formula
Flashlights
Batteries
Small generators
Toiletries (soap, deodorant, toothpaste/toothbrushes, feminine hygiene products, hand sanitizers)
Battery-operated fans
First aid items
Blankets
Sleeping bags

How will we get it done?

We have a team in Florida ready to pack and consolidate items for families. 

We have teams on the ground in Grand Bahama.

100% of all funds will benefit those who need it most.

100% of donations are tax deductible. 

If you would like to send non-monetary donations, please ship them to:
               
Hurricane Dorian Relief                               
3550 NW 85TH CT
APT 243                                                              
Doral, FL 33122               
    
Please keep the people of the islands of Abaco and Grand Bahama in your thoughts, prayers and hearts. 

Thank you to those who are reaching out to their networks and places of work to help. Every bit helps. 

Please don't forget the children.

PLANT THE SEED

All it takes is one child to change our future world. The challenges we face today, from education to extreme inequality, demand new solutions.

When you donate to A Step Ahead, you plant a seed into a child that transcends into real, lasting impact. When we invest into the life of a young person there are truly #nolimitsforourchildren. And your donation is 100% tax -deductible.

We are extremely proud of our crowdfunding campaign which has accounted for over 50% of our fundraising. In 2018 our average individual contribution was $59. We truly have some remarkable partners and supporters!

Level Benefits for Corporate Sponsors and Top Individual Donors 

OUR HISTORY

Since 2016, this Global Chess Team out of Freeport, Bahamas has traveled to not only compete, but to win in chess tournaments internationally. Coached by Math Teacher and Chess Coach Shawn T. Sorsby, students have traveled to North Carolina, New York City, and most recently in the summer of 2018 to Chicago, IL.

In Chicago, a group of young Bahamians were exposed to another historic city. They enjoyed guided tours at The Museum of Science and Industry and The Dusable Museum of African American History, while also exploring Millennium Park, Navy Pier and even looked over the city from the 2nd tallest building in the world (Willis Tower).  After experiencing the city students competed with nearly 200 players in attendance at the Kumbaya Chess Tournament, sponsored by Chess Ed.

Please watch the video above where you can see for yourself some special moments from our most recent trip to Chicago.

These chess explorations have indeed been life changing experiences for these young players, and In 2019 A Step Ahead is proud to announce that their doors are opening to the entire Bahamian community! Any child who has a desire to learn and experience something new will have an opportunity to play the great game of chess and travel. Partnering with Bay Area Chess, who was named the 2018 Chess Club of the Year by the United States Chess Federation, A Step Ahead will be traveling to California to compete in the Bay Area Chess Young People’s Championship on July 20th, 2019.

Bay Area Chess - Our 2019 Chess Tournament Partner 

Your sponsorship this year will support young chess players who have an opportunity to travel.. In the Bay, students will not only play in an amazing chess tournament, but also take on the city in exploration. We currently plan to visit museums in both San Jose and San Francisco, walk across the Golden Gate Bridge, go on a college tour at Stanford University, and will have an opportunity to visit some of the greatest technology and social media companies in the world in Silicon Valley. Travel dates are from July 17th - July 22nd.

OUR RESULTS

According to the students, their teachers and their parents, our players have seen various benefits since playing chess and experiencing exposure and education through international travel. These include:

--higher grades, substantially in reading and math
--better focus
--better concentration
--a more positive outlook on school
--a more positive outlook on life
--increased self-confidence
--a new found sense of self-worth

In our first two competitive chess tournaments our players came away with 8 top trophies, including two tournament 1st place champions, and showed how young new comers from a small island can compete with the best from the biggest cities. These players not only represent their schools, but also their country with pride and excellence.

“Coming away with individual and team trophies, the only girl player to win a trophy in her section, and another 1st place winner in the advanced rated section, I am truly proud of these young chess players and future leaders. They all played with class and confidence, representing themselves and their country well,” said Sorsby.
-The Freeport News, February 7th, 2019

Due to tremendous success in the past, and a 50% increase in the number of young chess players who are tournament ready, we are increasing our target from 8 to 16 students this year.

Here’s how your donation will help give young chess players an opportunity to travel.

Contribution of       Will Help Support
$25                                  US Chess Federation Membership
$35                                  Meals, snacks and beverages for one day
$35                                  Custom A Step Ahead Polo
$50                                  Tournament Registration
$100                               Tournament Registration plus
                                           one night lodging for one student
$175                               Meals, snacks and beverages for 5 days
$250                               Lodging for 5 Nights for one student
$665                               International Airfare
$1200                            Total trip cost for one student

Even if you can not contribute at the moment, PLEASE SHARE OUR STORY with others! For more information on our students, past projects, results and other ways to give, please see the links below:

Thanks in advance, we greatly appreciate your support!

A Step Ahead - About Us and Why Chess Works 

A Step Ahead - Past Projects and Results 

A Step Ahead - Other Ways to Give