For more information, please contact:
Annie Meagle
Great Circle
Phone: 314-256-4943
Fax: 314-535-6632
annie.meagle@great-circle.org

	Robyn and Josh Burnett with some of the donated soccer equipment.

West County Boy Collects Soccer Equipment for Local Kids in Residential Care

ST. LOUIS, MO (July 27, 2010) – When deciding what to do for his bar mitzvah project,  13-year-old Josh Burnett, an eighth grader at Parkway Central Middle School, told his mother Robyn he wanted to collect soccer equipment for kids less fortunate than him. An avid soccer fan, Josh decided to share the experience of the sport with children living in residential care at the agencies of Great Circle, including Edgewood Children’s Center and Boys & Girls Town of Missouri.

“I wanted to help the less fortunate and I love soccer,” said Josh when asked about his motivation for taking on the project. “Doing this project made me appreciative of what I have in my own life.”

Josh’s job was to organize the donations. He and his mom hosted a “drop-off-donations” party and advertised the event through word of mouth, networking and a mass e-mail. Supporters stopped by their house to drop off new soccer equipment and enjoy food and drink. Josh had help from his mom, dad and grandma in collecting and organizing the donations.

He collected 32 new and used soccer balls, 18 sets of shin guards and socks, 4 pairs of soccer cleats, 4 sets of cones, two equipment bags and two soccer shirts, jerseys and shorts. His donation is valued at $750, and his family and friends also made an additional cash donation to the agency.

“We are extremely moved by the hard work Josh did on behalf of our kids,” said Peppy Howard-Willms, regional vice president of Edgewood Children’s Center. “I know the soccer equipment will be put to great use by the kids on campus.”

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About Great Circle
Established as a result of the merger of Boys & Girls Town of Missouri and Edgewood Children’s Center, Great Circle provides treatment, education, prevention and support services to children with a history of physical, sexual or emotional abuse, neglect or abandonment. Great Circle’s mission to “reshape vulnerable lives through a community of partners, teachers and leaders, giving children and families the confidence to create bright futures” is fulfilled through campuses in St. Louis, Columbia, Springfield and St. James, Missouri. As one of the children’s non-for-profit services in Missouri, the organization annually serves approximately 7,800 children and family members and employs more than 700 staff members. For more information please visit www.great-circle.org.