Using Sport For Social Change

Good day everyone. It is with a much sadness that Carolyn and I must announce that the 9th Annual Just Play event is postponed indefinitely due to the unfortunate circumstances of our poor little island of St. John. Hurricane Irma destroyed our beloved island as I am sure all of you know. There is another hurricane on the way and it looks to be another direct hit to St. John and neighboring islands.

We have been in touch with Celia Kalousek of the St. John Community Foundation and are coming up with options to bring back the free Just Play event for the island youth as soon as we are able, and as soon as the island is stable once again.

It has been a truly wonderful experience to bring this event to the island youth for almost 9 years in a row and we have lovely memories of each event. Our first event in 2009, it rained heavily the night before. Everyone was wondering if the event would be canceled the next day. Luckily for us, it cleared up beautifully! Here is a video from our first event:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdO3kAim-yE&t=111s

The Just Play event has grown and changed over the past 9 years. We had 50 kids the first year and we gave out Oriental Trading plastic medals and fed the kids small portions of subway sandwiches for lunch. Fast forward 8 years later and we are entertaining over 150-200 kids and 75+ volunteers at each event! We have real trophies and real medals to give out to the participants, event T's, event water bottles, sports bags filled with free Nike product for the participants and for the past 7 years, a full hot meal has been provided by Mathayom Vacharat and his catering company St. John Catering.

During the 8 years that Using Sport For Social Change has put on this event, I have also been able to provide the schools and the Parks and Recs department of St. John with over 1000 basketballs, footballs and Soccer balls -all donated, as well as 20 new Nike softball mitts to the Ruby Rutnik Softball tournament in 2009. In 2010 we donated 58 pair of new Nike football cleats to the St. John Parks and Recs flag football team and 20 pair of new Nike baseball cleats to the Ruby Rutnik Softball tournament. Also in 2010 USFSC sent down new Nike baseball bats to the St. John Parks and Recs Department.

USFSC was a sponsor for the 1st and 2nd Annual Tortola Surf Classic in 2011 and 2012 and held an essay contest for youth of the USVI to write about how surfing could improve the lives of Virgin Islanders. Winners were selected and won an all expense paid trip to Tortola with a chaperone of their choosing. And in 2015, USFSC donated over 150 brand new Nike swimsuits to the St. John Aquatic Center.

Using Sport for Social Change could have never grown to the caliber that is has become, without the help and belief of St. John businesses and their donations over the years, and the many volunteers and parents that believed in my dream of providing a free sports day for island youth.

It is here now, that I wish to thank all of you for your support over the years. I wish I could thank you all personally but will try to list all of you here.

8 Tuff Miles
AAA Fire
Alice By the Sea
Alpine Securities
Aqua Bistro
Aqua Blue Car Rental
Arawak Adventures
Beach Bar
Beach Girl Design
Bellows International
Caravan Galleries
Castaways
CMD
Compound Media
Concordia Eco Resort
Cruz Bay Boutique Hotel
Cruz Bay Landing
Drink
Freebird
Friends of Albert Bryan Jr.
Gallows Point Resort
Gecko Gazebo
Get Trashed
Global Giving - Darrel Boyd
High Tide
Infinity Images
Infinity Personal Services
Inn At Tamarind Court
Innervisions
Islandia
Jake's
Joe's Rum Hut
Just Sun Rentals
Karen Baranowski
Kekoa
Kid's Night in
La Tapa
Long Board
Love City Beach Shop
Love City Lunch Box
Massage Envy
Mathayom Private Chefs
Morgans Mango
Neighbor's Realty
Nike
Ocean 362
Pizza Bar
Pizza Pi - True Crew
Plastic Free St. John
Quiet Mon Pub
Ronnie's Pizza
Sea Glass Vacation
Sean Georges
Seaside Properties
Skinny Legs
St. John Board of Realtors
St. John Community Foundation
St. John Hardware
St. John Ice and Water
St. John Inn
St. John Parks and Recs
St. John Provisions
St. John Rescue
St. John Spice
St. John Ultimate Villas
Starfish Market 
STJ Board of Realtors
Sun Dog Café
Sunshine Jeep Rental
Tamarind Court
Tap Room
The Westin Resort
Tracy Pajewski
Tripple B
Vacation VI
Verace
Virgin Fire
William Stelzer Photography
Windspree
X on St. John
Yelena Rogers Photography

Please make donations to one of these Charitable groups:
The St. John Community Foundation

St. John Rescue

Bless you all. We will be together again!

Dean Doeling

Carolyn Eaton