love and basketball

By Andrew Lovedale '09 (with Lauren Biggers)

This is one of those days when you sit back and just look at how much God has been able to accomplish through the use of his vessels of nobodies like myself and others who made sacrifices to attend to the needs of others.

I intend not to go into details about our early morning rituals because Molly, Lauren and Morgan have already shed some light on it. However, our routine today took a slight twist.

We are patnering with pro health, a religious organization that is committed towards providing free health care to families across Africa. Pro health is carrying out a 10-day free health project here in Benin, while Samaritans feet is also doing "shoes of hope distribution."

We woke up at 5.30 am as usual, Lauren and Morgan were pumped for morning prayers because through bad communication, they thought it was my turn to lead praise and worship' and it turned out I did not, which left them disappointed.

Unknown to Lauren that I was supposed to lead praise and worship before bible study, she somehow skipped because she needed the rest. One cannot blame her for resting because everything is tough but the joy of the lord that emanates from our service, provides us with the strength to keep marching on.

Manny's wife (Tracy Ohonme) led bible study, and it was a great time. After a wonderful breakfast, we took a little break, sorted out the bags some, and hopped on the bus. We drove to church where a school called "logos academy" was also situated and handed out 200 pairs of shoes just loving on them and telling them how much God loves them.

Frank went to Abuja to collect his Visa so Molly talked me into reading the story of Noah to the kids while thay awaited their turns for ministration. One cannot help but marvel at the joy on the faces of these little ones whose future looks so bright. Some little kids got white shoes and would use their hands to dust off any dirt on it every 10 seconds or so even if there was non present.

The church volunteers turned out in their large numbers, which made things move fast. At about 12.30, we were done with giving out shoes and spent some time outside the church taking photographs with members of the church as well as others around.

Then we drove to VICS for lunch, of which it rained on our way and Molly could not help but take pictures of the flooded roads of my city. Truth be told, Morgan was sort of scared and that came to light when she saw other cars hesitate to drive in waters ventured by our driver as she said " those people are all going back because they are scared. Sunny (our driver) is the best."

We got back at 2.30 and had to be ready to leave for the basketball court by 3.30pm. During the one hour window, i went into "the queens suite" (MML) and just picked on Morgan for all the countless love letters she has recieved from my fellow Nigerians.

Whie cracking up and just chilling, the last thing i remember doing was taking a picture of Morgan curled up in a sofa in a weird way. After passing on the sofa, I woke up and asked Lauren how long I had napped for and she said 10 minutes. Although 10 minutes, it was worth it.

I ran out of their suite because it was time to go and before you know it, we were on the bus to wire road to go assist with the newly renovated basketball court, play games with the folks and just love on them.

and now, this is lauren... i intended to have andrew write about the day, but wasn't sure he would get it done. certain things have not disappeared even though we are worlds away, and the depedency of andrew and frank on morgan and i is one of them. (lauren, can you please... morgan, where is..., etc. etc.). as frank so accurately observed one of our first days as molly, morgan, andrew and frank and i were waiting outside of the internet cafe, 'it's like we are sitting in your office in baker, and yet we are on some random street in benin.'

i intend to write the blog for today, and thus, include some more details from wednesday's basketball clinic. for the first time since we have been here, i have not wanted to commit a crime when getting a 530 wake up call. (i also cannot believe how clean we look in the blog picture!) i am off to breakfast now, and then we are scheduled to spend our day visiting orphanges. i'm sure it will be an emotionally challenging day, but we hope to distribute the remainder of the shoes that we brought with us on the plane. everyone sends their love home!

frank and molly go marching two by two

By Molly Duncan '11

Hello again!! We are officially halfway through with our trip to nigeria, and time has been flying. i apologize upfront about the lack of punctuation...the international keyboard is not friendly to my american-trained fingers.

all of us just wanted to send a quick update about our ventures yesterday (tuesday). sorry we are late in posting, it has been difficult to find time!!

Yesterday morning began at 530 with prayer, as always. Although we are all fairly exhausted so early in the morning, there is something very peaceful and comforting about prayer and reflection so early in the morning.

After praise and worship, we went back to sleep for about an hour. after breakfast we took off for an elementary school of about 400 students. they were all so orderly and were lined up waiting for us when the bus arrived...

as you can imagine, we make quite a scene whenever we go anywhere. Manny and Andrew both talked to the uniform-clad children who listened so intently...the children admire them so much.

we then got the chance to lead the children in song. schinamarinkydinkidink (try sounding that out....its an old song from lambchops) was quite a favorite, as was father abraham. the children were so happy and eager to follow all of the hand motions in the song.

we washed the feet of about 200 of the children and gave them a new pair of shoes. we also trained local volunteers from andrew's church that will eventually finish the school and will distribute more shoes once we leave. the church members are so hospitable and they have picked up the process so quickly. it is definitely comforting to know that people will be able to take over what we are doing after we leave.

while church members learned how to wash feet and run the process, the kids (me, morgan, lauren, frank, and andrew) were put in charge of the schoolchildren. we loved leading them in songs and picking them up and spinning them around.

even in the rain, the children loved running around in the schoolyard and jumping all over us. some children had to be carried from one building to another to get their feet washed. lauren, morgan, chris easterling (a huge davidson fan) and i loved carrying them from one porch to the other so that they would not get their bare feet wet and muddy. they jumped into our arms and squealed as soon as we opened up our arms.

frank was busy picking up a new hobby...story telling. using picture cards, frank told different groups of children the story of noah's ark. their favorite part was definitely the animals and mr and mrs noah walking onto the boat. the sight of 6'10'' frank and 5'9'' blonde molly strutting onto the imaginary boat was apparently hillarious.

after we finished at the school, we went to the local hospital where our partner team is working to give free medical treatment. we grabbed some peanut butter sandwiches for lunch and were thrilled to have a cold coke as well.

at the hospital, morgan, lauren, and i (with occassional help from andrew and frank) helped put pills into bags for the pharmacy to dispense. we were at the hospital to wait for the governor's wife who we were told was "right around the corner." Three hours later, she arrived. When she finally arrived we were so relived because even our creative minds were out of ideas to entertain the children for one moment longer.

After she gave a speech, we had the chance to demonstrate what Samaritan's Feet does by washing the feet of a few children in front of her. It was really difficult to only choose a few because everyone waiting in line outside the hospital wanted so desperately for their children to receive a pair of shoes. turning away crying mothers is one of the most difficult things to do.

on a happier note, we had the chance to meet the Governor's wife and take a picture. for dinner, we returned to KFC (not what you are thinking....kada fried chicken is a local fast food chain). we were so grateful to return back to the hotel for a much-needed early evening. after relaxing, we headed to bed for the night....but not before checking morgan's email (luckily). a young man, joseph, we met yesterday sent one. the subject line: "Hi Queen Morgan."

notes from nigeria

By Morgan Clark

Well, i can say that it has been quite a busy few days. i can't promise any writing as good as lauren's, but i will do my best..thanks to andrew's friend moses, we are really lucky to be able to even be continuing this blog! (we are not able to just walk to an internet cafe, and it takes too much stress/time to find someone to take us). as i am writing this, the power just went out - came back on - and went out again- came back on! this happens often here..don't know if lauren mentioned, but we are somehow blessed with air conditioning in our rooms - which amazes me! it is a nice contrast to the hot heat.

on monday, we started our teaming up with pro health international (a group full of such wonderful people) by waking up at 5:30 am..yes, i said 5:30...for singing, prayer, and devotion.. hey, when you are here, you live by their rules..and no one is allowed to miss it. they are deeply religious and very passionate about their religion. when that was over (around 6:15), we were able to go back to our rooms to prepare for the day (we just slept some more!) and then at 7:30 we rose again for bible study followed by breakfast. they tell us that we will be doing this everyday (really!). andrew says it was the norm in his household growing up

we loaded up the bus and drove to the benin sports stadium, where andrew's old coach and friends play sports. the basketball court in the stadium - which is like a big complex that has tennis, swimming, and offices - is flooded. not just today, it is always flooded and they have no way to fix it. so instead, they play ball on wire road. but before we can go there, we have to go to see the commissioner to get her blessing for what we will be doing. we always cause quite a scene wherever we go, and this was defintely one that was an important visit captured on both parties cameras and videos. everywhere we go, we feel like celebrities..nigerians LOVE to take pictures!!! some common phrases they also use are "that is ok" (for good) and "you are welcome" (at first we wondered what for, and then we realized they are saying you are welcome here in nigeria, here in the sports stadium, here in our school..).

we finally make it over to the courts on wire road, way behind schedule, to see not the 50 people we thought would be there, but the 150 people there waiting for us - since 9:00 (it's like 11 at this point). the courts are basically some cement slab with some marks on them (i think thanks to andrew). you can tell they have started to paint the courts from the money andrew has brought with this trip, but have held off continuing because of rain the night before. the day is a bit disorganized as we think of what to do with our new numbers on the fly. coach sue, andrew, frank, and chris easterling do an excellent job running some scrimmages and teaching the nigerian players some new moves.

while some are playing on the courts, we have set up the foot washing station, where we get to know the people and are able to deliver them a new pair of shoes. i think andrew is pretty satisfied with how the day went. unfortunately, the nigerian goverment has delayed our container of shoes, and we only have the basketball shoes that we brought on the plane with us to give out. the other 500 basketball shoes remain in port (where they have been for the past 1.5 weeks) in lagos until the government decides to review our paperwork (again) or accept some payment (think thousands) - welcome to africa - you never know what will happen! we just recevied disappointing news - confirmation that we will not get the container until after we leave. luckily, andrew's church has about 40 AMAZING volunteers (these are really special people) who will finish the mission for us and deliver shoes to all of our targets (not just basketball shoes, but the other thousands of regular tennis shoes too!!!).

ok, sorry for the sidenotes there. we hung out at the wire road courts for the majority of the afternoon, making conversation with all of the players after we were done with the shoes. the ones that didn't get any are still very excited to get some next week. we just hope that they get into the right hands, and not into some of the corrupt coaches. these players work so hard, and play so hard, and have such big dreams. it was heartbreaking to not be able to bring them all to the US to play like andrew has. BUT as Frank said best, they can shine in nigeria too! it is an honor to play for your country (like frank has), and they were reminded of this. we have nicknamed Frank BenEze the Poparreze, because he is allllllllways taking pictures. also, many refer to andrew as drew or andy. everyone idolizes him (and frank), you can see in the players eyes, you can hear it in their voices. he is truly an inspiration for all and i feel so lucky to know him and frank. they have both continued to amaze me. after seeing where andrew came from - you think you have an idea, but you really don't- he and frank have even more of my respect (if that's possible).

the people of nigeria are amazing. there are very few white people here, so when we go places, we get stared at a lot. but, if you wave and say hi or smile at those staring faces, they burst into smiles and energetic waves - they are so friendly and happy, it is so heartwarming. and they may not have what we have at home (think - children taking baths in the street, running around barefoot, very little electricity - yes, on andrew's street too..everywhere), but i think they are probably way more satisified and happy in life than the majority of americans i know. i only hope one day to be fulfilled in life in the same way that they are. all of the nigerians i have met are the most loving, welcoming people!

when we were done at the courts (i think we will return tomorrow to fix them up some more) we grabbed a quick bite and headed to a village outside of the city, about a 2 hour bus ride. we drove on a cement road most of the way there but roads into the village are all dirt, potholes, mountaints..i don't know how our bus did not get stuck. the school we went to was a primary school filled with 800 children, who were waiting to welcome us. manny (samaritan's feet leader) spoke to them with an inspirational speech about how he,andrew,and frank were native nigerians, and what they have been able to achieve because of their success in school. encouraged them to become doctors, engineers, etc..to be a superstar for nigeria. it was like out of a movie - those kids are amazing. they are so good, sweet, and eager to learn. so many questions to answer for them, we were basically mobbed in their eagerness to learn about these strange visitors. i wanted to kidnap a good few many children - but i'll leave that to molly or lauren to talk about. to sum up, words can't describe the experience at that village school. once the container makes its way to benin, those 800 children will all receive a pair of shoes from us, which will be wonderful for them. however, they have no electricity( the govt neglects the villages), no computers... if they just had 1 or 2 of those, they could do so much. it makes me think deeply about a- what else i can do for them and b-what would all of the american parents feel or think if they had to put THEIR child in these conditions.

this has gotten long, has strayed off course, but you'll have to forgive me..there is so much to think, feel, and try and get across to you. one thing is for sure, and that is how PROUD i am of andrew and frank. these 2 will be in my life forever and for that i am thankful...that they will always remind me of how to be a better person. frank especially has made me proud, as i have seen such a different side of him than he showed at davidson..he is in his element now, and really shines. he is definitely a future leader!

oh, and moses wants to come to the us for graduate school..he will be taking the gre and i have told him that i will send him some gre study books, so all you friends of mine that have those laying around - i need one or two to send to him. moses is special, like andrew and frank, and i will not rest until he gets what he wants!

a day in the life of andrew lovedale

By Lauren Biggers

today was our first full day in nigeria, and sitting on one of our four blue, velvet chairs in the living room of our suite, i have a little more clarity about what the rest of the week will look like. for sure, ill be tired and without question, dirty.

the day began with a 6 a.m. wake up call on the travel alarm clock i remembered to pack, thankfully, as the usually more responsible morgan did not (to her credit we have needed three of the things on the list that i deemed not worthy). but actually, the day began much earlier than that when morgan shook me awake with a whisper of "someone is in our room." after an hour of us sitting alert and prepared to strike (whom or with what i'm still not sure), we pegged our intruder as our roommate sue and her blackberry. um, sigh.

team breakfast is at the hotel, after a quick meeting about the day's activities. the room is tiny. and when i say tiny, i mean, there is zero space between my dress and the table and the wall. lets call in quaint. for breakfast, we are each served four pieces of bread (its really sweet and really good. and andrew has stocked our room with a loaf. score.) and really good butter. there is also a vegetable omelet and coffee (double score!).

after breakfast we pile in our team bus, which is always one of my favorites parts of traveling on these types of trips (big windows maximize viewing pleasure), and head to andrew's church as directed by the man himself, navigating the bus from the front. we are a little bit late, because of breakfast, but we arrive in the middle of sunday school, which is a quickly paced, call-and-answer type service. she doesn't call on me.

afterwards, there is a service in the same room, and one of our team members, derek, is called upon to share a little about his faith. at some point during the four-hour service (four hours just flies by, doesn't it, lauren? andrew asks afterwards. ha.), our team is also called to the front to dance (it really happened) and pray for those who come forward. i think about kidnapping a few of the children (kidding. i think.), and morgan and i continue to pass back and forth andrew's eight-month old nephew. (so cute!)

once church is over, we pose for plenty o'pictures with the children and finally board the bus for lunch. morgan and i order meat pies, after a successful experience yesterday, and some rice (everything comes with rice). she gets coconut rice, mine is an orange variety. "what's it taste like?," i say. "it's spicy," comes the standard reply. everything is spicy.

after lunch we come back to the hotel where we relax a little before dinner at andrew's house. molly and sue duck into their room for a nap, but we are treated to andrew's friends' presence once again in the common room. andrew eventually leaves to take pictures of the basketball facility we will be renovating tomorrow.

when he returns, the team boards the bus for his mother's house, where there are probably 30 of his friends and family waiting to serve us a dinner of traditional nigerian foods. andrew has told me of the customary practice of eating with your hands, and morgan and i are completely game for giving this a whirl on pounded yam (sort of a wad of mashed potatoes) and spinach-type casserole dish. there is also a bean dish, fresh pineapple, pepper soup and a beef dish. the food, and the company, is wonderful, and as we head to board the bus, we have become mini celebrities, our bus surrounded by neighborhood children, who want nothing more than smiles and hugs. and pictures with the white people.

about 30 minutes later, we are on our way back to the hotel, where we change and gather for the final meeting of the day. after a devotion by chris eastlering, we head over to the hotel's "big room," a wedding hall type establishment, to meet the pro-health international team with whom we will be partnering for the week. tomorrow's logistics, which include a basketball clinic and shoe delivery and a health clinic are discussed, and we spend some time getting to know the other team members.

during this time, morgan is asked a question by one of the pro-health volunteers which she believes to be "whats in an apple?". which she naturally believes the answer to be "seeds." after much laughter, it is told the question was "whats up," in pigeon, the nigerian version of english that just drops words without much reason and mixes others together. eariler, after the congregation widely reacts to something at church, franks asks me 'what did she say?' i look blankly at him with "i have no idea," to which he reminds me, "it was in english." um, right.

it's 11:30 p.m. here and im fighting sleep, but i wanted to write nonetheless. andrew's best friend in benin, moses, was kind enough to leave me with a laptop, which means i don't have to make the death journey back to the internet cafe (good idea: i'd like a diet coke. bad idea: crossing a nigerian street at night, even with a nigerian). even so, despite his insistence that "the internet is everywhere," the internet connection is not great (holy third world country, batman).

tomorrow begins at 5:30 a.m. (yes, you read that right), so in case morgan decides to wake me for another night watch shift, i'd better call it an evening. i'm hoping to write daily, and hoping to pull in some more voices to give you a broader glimpse of the journey as the week goes on. i cant offer too many personal insights, yet, but i can tell you that however impressed i thought i was at the person that is andrew lovedale, i cannot fathom how i could be more impressed with the person that he has now become. until probably tomorrow.

Touch Down

By Lauren Biggers

The team has arrived safely in nigeria!

After a flight to atlanta, a 12-hour flight to lagos and another hour-long flight (with lots of traveling tales in between) to benin and a 20-minute ride to the hotel, we safely checked into our hotel around 3 p.m. local time (which is around five hours ahead of eastern standard time). it's been a long couple of days of traveling, but i can already tell it's going to be worth it.

you'll have to forgive my misspellings (spell check isn't active!!) and my going all e.e. cummings on you, but this international keyboard i'm typing on has the shift key located in a place my fingers do not readily recognize, while my hour of time is too-quickly slipping away on the ticker at the top of the screen.

our journey began when morgan's mom picked molly and i up at my apartment early friday morning and delivered us to the charlotte airport, where we connected with the rest of the charlotte-based crew, including manny and his wife, tracy. it took quite some time to get all 21 bags of shoes to meet the 70-lb. weight limit, but we finally got the green light. security was a breeze (we wore our flippy floppys...) and before you know it, morgan's hunting down a cinnabon. (totally worth it).

in atlanta, we connect with the rest of our team, which includes a videographer, al, and sue, head women's basketball coach at florida state, who has also been tasked with sharing a suite with morgan, molly and myself, and by default, andrew lovedale, frank ben-eze and their nigerian posse.

after a quick, er "quick," bite to eat (that's worth locating the shift key for) at tgif friday's - where morgan is kind enough to order me both a diet coke and a water in my absence... she's a keeper - we set about gathering necessities for our 12-hour flight. for morgan, newsweek, gq and mentos. for me, us weekly and chocolate, natch.

the 12-hour flight is as painless as one could hope, especially once we learn the third person in our row doesn't exist and make friends with the flight attendant manning the beverage cart. the movie selections are unfortunate, something with the rock in it (no, i can't smell what you are cooking) and something about a hotel for dogs, but everyone tries to buy some sleep. apparently, i am the most successful, but i cant help it if i was the most prepared.

in lagos, we get through customs with impressive ease, though not speed. the 21 bags of shoes seem to slow us from this point on, as the baggage attendants insist on matching tag numbers and bags. (yeah, yeah..) eventually we get enough cabs for the team and the bags, and we are on our way to our fourth airport of the journey for our third and final flight.

andrew's brother is traveling from england to benin, and we meet him on this flight, before finally connecting with andrew and frank on the ground in benin. (annnndreeeeeeew!!!!) all load the bus for the short trip to the hotel, which is a pleasant surprise, except for the frequent, but abbreviated power outages that elicit only laughs and cheers of "welcome home" from andrew and frank. the four girls on the team have been assigned to the "queens suite," rightly so, with morgan and i in one room and sue and molly in the other. (we have cnn!)

after a quick lesson from andrew on why there are buckets in the shower (fill one, pour from the other), we change and make a quick visit to the wedding reception in full swing and local color at our hotel. the bride, a volunteer with pro health international, the medical clinic we will be working with, insists that we jump on the stage and take a photo with her, so naturally, we oblige.

then it is time for the team to grab a quick bite at kada chicken, nigerian equivalent of kentucky fried chicken, which neither frank nor andrew have experienced. after a couple pieces of fried chicken and french fries, andrew decides we must try meat pies and fried doughnuts. too. (so much for my nigerian weight loss plan). they are worth the taste, even as frank continues to make fun for my giving approval prior to tasting.

four of andrew's friends, including his best friend moses (or burning bush) hold court in our living room for a while after dinner, and sue is gracious in allowing the davidson athletic contingent to keep her from sleep. frank discovers he played with one of florida state's nigerian players on their national team, along the way.

frank, andrew, molly, morgan and i piled (and i do mean PILED) into a truck for the ride to the internet cafe to make this report before heading back to the hotel and craaasshing. i'm also typing in the dark, here. fyi.

tomorrow's day kicks off with a 6:30 a.m. breakfast before a visit to andrew's church. i'm not really sure what the rest of the week will hold, but so far, we are having a blast. i love visiting new places and experiencing new cultures, and i am even more excited about seeing nigeria through frank and andrew's eyes. thanks for reading.

Why I'm Boarding the Plane Tomorrow

By Molly Duncan '11

For a few months, Morgan Clark, Davidson’s Assistant Sports Marketing Director, had a link posted at the bottom of all of her E-mail messages that led viewers to a web site set up to raise funds for this 10-day trip to Nigeria. Written right below this link was the quote: “Kick’s From ‘Cats-The Final Stage.” And for so many of us, this trip is.

For Morgan and Lauren, what began as a running joke and far-fetched dream will become reality when they step on the plane tomorrow.

For two renowned college basketball coaches, a vision of progress through basketball, academics, and the power of relationships will become a reality when they step on the plane tomorrow.

For Bruce Bodman, one of our trip leaders and our organizational mastermind from Samaritan’s Feet, the role of trip planner has recently transformed into that of active participant — tomorrow that will become reality.

So where does that leave me? I’m only 20 and am often (two days ago, most recently) mistaken for 16. I am the only Davidson student (besides Andrew and Frank who will meet us on the ground) on the trip, and my contributions to this trip — and to the world, for that matter — pale in comparison to the 13 others I’m traveling with.

But I’ve always had passion, so that’s where I’ll start.

I have three major passions that are relevant to this story: Davidson basketball, Dr. Kathie Turner and children.

My dad played basketball for Davidson, I grew up playing and watching basketball, and I do not miss Davidson home games. I was at the 2008 SoCon tournament when a few hundred of us knew that team was special.

I, of course, was in Detroit.

I relish the fact that my Chapel-Hill residing friends do not believe me when I say that here, everyone knows everyone, and yes- #30 is included. I love Davidson, and I love Davidson basketball.

This is where Dr. Turner comes in. Dr. Turner, for those who have not had the privilege, is self-proclaimed “queen of the Communications department,” owner of the largest Dum-Dum lollipop fleet on campus, and a second mother to me.

After receiving an E-mail one morning from the queen herself, I hurried in to her office. Knowing of passion #1, she asked if I would be interested in producing a two-minute segment for ESPN-U about Andrew Lovedale and the upcoming shoe drive.

Jumping at this opportunity, I agreed, barely hearing that it was set to air in one week. After a few interviews and 30 hours with my invaluable technical assistant/savior Ross Lackey, we had a two-minute clip. For those of you who have seen the clip, you have glimpsed the compassionate spirit that Andrew Lovedale possesses.

One thing, that unfortunately got cut, was this quote that has stuck with me since February: “When they receive that pair of shoes, I only wish you could see the smiles on their faces for yourself.”

So, here I go.

I love children, and that’s why I’m boarding the plane tomorrow.

I am infected with the passion that Andrew has spread on this campus, and that’s why I’m boarding the plane tomorrow.

I believe that we can, and that we will, make a difference. And that’s why I’m boarding the plane tomorrow.

Kicks from 'Cats - The Final Phase

By Morgan Clark

As I sit looking at all my mini bottles of shampoo, sunscreen, and toothpaste (because we’re only allowed a carry-on!!), it finally hits me that I really am going to Nigeria.

I can recall meeting with Chris Dunn back in November, when he brought to my attention Andrew’s good deeds involving his trips back home to Nigeria. At the time, Chris (a Davidson alum), wanted to highlight Andrew’s good deeds and organize a shoe drive to collect more shoes for him.

I remember thinking, this is an awesome cause, and Andrew sounds like a wonderful basketball player – a role model for all athletes and students alike. I had no idea what to expect with organizing a shoe drive/promotion for the BracketBusters game, and I definitely had NO idea HOW we would get any shoes we raised TO Nigeria.

Luckily, after some research, some alumni effort, and a little bit of fate, Samaritan’s Feet came into our lives and thus began our trip to Nigeria.

A- I was amazed by the sense of community that surrounds Davidson – a community that raised over $14,000 for shipping & socks, and 500 pairs of new basketball shoes. I can’t stop repeating it.

B- Samaritan’s Feet donated 10,000 pairs of shoes & worked with Andrew to plan our 10 day trip – I can’t WAIT to see what life is like through Andrew & his family’s eyes, and to see all of the locations for distribution that Andrew has picked out.

C- I got to know Andrew, Frank, and many others that rallied behind the cause. I am amazed by the forward thinking of these students, and I challenge others to be more like them. If everyday, we thought about others just a little bit more, the world could be a much better place.

I have no expectations for this trip – other than to be amazed. I am so excited to help put a small dent in a world that needs so much help, by helping others achieve a better life – all just by having a pair of shoes.

We take so much for granted here in the States where our lives are really so simple and our problems are so small, if you take a step back and think about them. Andrew really said it all – “engaging giving in ways that foster accountability long after the physical act is performed, is what should be the major goal.”

I’m going to Nigeria to help achieve that goal. And it’s all thanks to you – the Davidson community – for making Kicks from ‘Cats a reality.

Kicks from 'Cats - the Final Phase

By Morgan Clark, Assistant Director of Marketing

As I sit looking at all my mini bottles of shampoo, sunscreen, and toothpaste (because we’re only allowed a carry-on!!), it finally hits me that I really am going to Nigeria.

I can recall meeting with Chris Dunn back in November, when he brought to my attention Andrew’s good deeds involving his trips back home to Nigeria. At the time, Chris (a Davidson alum), wanted to highlight Andrew’s good deeds and organize a shoe drive to collect more shoes for him.

I remember thinking, this is an awesome cause, and Andrew sounds like a wonderful basketball player – a role model for all athletes and students alike. I had no idea what to expect with organizing a shoe drive/promotion for the BracketBusters game, and I definitely had NO idea HOW we would get any shoes we raised TO Nigeria.

Luckily, after some research, some alumni effort, and a little bit of fate, Samaritan’s Feet came into our lives and thus began our trip to Nigeria.

A- I was amazed by the sense of community that surrounds Davidson – a community that raised over $14,000 for shipping & socks, and 500 pairs of new basketball shoes. I can’t stop repeating it.

B- Samaritan’s Feet donated 10,000 pairs of shoes & worked with Andrew to plan our 10 day trip – I can’t WAIT to see what life is like through Andrew & his family’s eyes, and to see all of the locations for distribution that Andrew has picked out.

C- I got to know Andrew, Frank, and many others that rallied behind the cause. I am amazed by the forward thinking of these students, and I challenge others to be more like them. If everyday, we thought about others just a little bit more, the world could be a much better place.

I have no expectations for this trip – other than to be amazed. I am so excited to help put a small dent in a world that needs so much help, by helping others achieve a better life – all just by having a pair of shoes.

We take so much for granted here in the States where our lives are really so simple and our problems are so small, if you take a step back and think about them. Andrew really said it all – “engaging giving in ways that foster accountability long after the physical act is performed, is what should be the major goal.”

I’m going to Nigeria to help achieve that goal. And it’s all thanks to you – the Davidson community – for making Kicks from ‘Cats a reality.

Nigeria, Here We Come

By Andrew Lovedale '09

I am really delighted and feel blessed about a rare opportunity to venture in Nigerian Terrain on a mission that is beyond me.

As a person used to going home alone on vacation, I am excited that God is using many others and I on this trip not just to perform a physical act, but to bless them from within with our time and passion for service.

I have always been sure of what I wanted to do in life, but the outcome of the shoe drive, further projected me into the realm of service. Davidson is a truly special place, and I have the community, faculty, staff, athletics department and especially, my lovely, lovely teammates for lending me their ears in the first place.

A lot needs to be done in developing nations and more than just giving and expecting results, engaging giving in ways that foster accountability long after the physical act is performed, is what should be the major goal.

Sports have taught me that the good of the whole is better than the good of the individual, education has taught me that the well of knowledge is endless and could always be tapped into, and Faith has taught me that with God, alll things are possible and who more can we lean on than He, whose wisdom begins where that of Man ends.

Teaching children to embrace sports, get their education and put God first will help foster accountability and that is what I am really excited for.

The trip will involve giving shoes, basketball and health clinics but more so, those going to affect lives, I pray will also have their lives changed forever.

Time at home is always fun but time at home spent serving, is priceless.

Nigeria, here we come....

Nigeria Here We Come

By Andrew Lovedale

I am really delighted and feel blessed about a rare opportunity to venture in Nigerian Terrain on a mission that is beyond me.

As a person used to going home alone on vacation, I am excited that God is using many others and I on this trip not just to perform a physical act, but to bless them from within with our time and passion for service.

I have always been sure of what I wanted to do in life, but the outcome of the shoe drive, further projected me into the realm of service. Davidson is a truly special place, and I have the community, faculty, staff, athletics department and especially, my lovely, lovely teammates for lending me their ears in the first place.

A lot needs to be done in developing nations and more than just giving and expecting results, engaging giving in ways that foster accountability long after the physical act is performed, is what should be the major goal.

Sports have taught me that the good of the whole is better than the good of the individual, education has taught me that the well of knowledge is endless and could always be tapped into, and Faith has taught me that with God, alll things are possible and who more can we lean on than He, whose wisdom begins where that of Man ends.

Teaching children to embrace sports, get their education and put God first will help foster accountability and that is what I am really excited for.

The trip will involve giving shoes, basketball and health clinics but more so, those going to affect lives, I pray will also have their lives changed forever.

Time at home is always fun but time at home spent serving, is priceless.

Nigeria, here we come....