Help Nick G with Montana Tanzania Soccer Exchange

Hi, my name is Nick Gawarkiewicz, and I am fundraising for the Montana Tanzania soccer exchange program. I’m stoked for this opportunity because I think it’s going to be a life-changing experience. I have played soccer since not long after I could walk and continued to play competitively through the spring of my sophomore year. Although I stopped playing high school ball to play football, I still have a strong passion for the game. Working with Tanzanians, my fellow teammates and coaches to improve the school and pitch is as exciting for me as learning about the culture and building relationships with Tanzanian players, who will hopefully visit Montana in the coming years.

The Montana Tanzania Exchange Chapter 2 “Keeping Promises” is an international soccer, civil service, cultural and educational exchange, designed to expand world views of local, youth athletes through immersion in the Tanzanian culture. By providing opportunities to work together, we will improve and enhance young lives.

This summer, high school soccer players, professional coaches, and trainers from Montana will volunteer in a 2-week program at the New Vision School and Sports Club in Arusha, Tanzania. This is the second year of the program.

New Vision serves over 200 students aged 6-26, living in extreme poverty and at high risk for gang recruitment. The Montana volunteers will work with New Vision to:

• Improve the pitch (soccer field) for the school - with an emphasis on sustainability and an educational element

• Provide clinics in coaching, refereeing, fitness, and sports medicine

• We’ll conduct educational classes with a focus on collaborative problem-solving. Our MT players will participate with New Vision players as peers. Some of the subjects will be language, engineering, life skills, and geography. The goal is to have “student-directed” but “teacher-guided” instruction.

I’m excited to represent the State of Montana in this cultural exchange by volunteering to gain life skills on and off the field. Any amount you donate is helpful, $100 may not seem like a lot but it will go a long way in Tanzania. Your donation is tax-deductible. I'm hoping to raise $5,000 and if I surpass this goal, the donations will continue to help fund other aspects of this program. Thank you for your consideration.

Total: $5,000