Little League EMEA Region: TOURNAMENTS: LITTLE LEAGUE PROGRAM FOR ORPHANAGES IN UKRAINE
Tuesday, February 27LITTLE LEAGUE PROGRAM FOR ORPHANAGES IN UKRAINE
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In 2003, Mr. Tarasco and Mr. Weissman realized that the number of children playing baseball was not growing in Ukraine. Yet there were requests for more help and equipment. They decided to challenge each league to form at least four teams ages 9-12 in order to be in good standing beginning in 2004.
At the same time, they started to research, where are the children in Ukraine and slowly their questions found answers. There are literally hundreds of orphanages (internats) in Ukraine. They decided to offer them an after school baseball program. A meaningful program to give them something productive to do after classes and on weekends.
During many visits to orphanages, they found that children there needed organized activities to battle the ever growing negative outside pressures. Little League baseball is a wholesome positive program which gives every child a chance to play, to learn, to grow, to cooperate, to succeed and sometimes fail, and to realize that they also have a right to play baseball and softball just like the children with parents.
In 2004, guided with the recommendations of the Help Us Help The Children Fund in Ukraine, Mr. Tarasco and Mr. Weissman found two willing orphanages to play Little League baseball. They were the orphanages in Radomishi and in Zhytomyr. Along with Mrs. Nadia Herbst, US Ambassador to Ukraine's wife, they delivered the necessary equipment for the kids to play baseball. You should have seen the smiles on the kids faces. What a delight.
In 2005, they added an orphanage in Donetsk to the Little League program. The word spread that orphans were playing baseball. More orphanages wanted the Little League program, but there was a problem. Equipment was needed. Mr. Tarasco had the equipment in New York, donated from kind Little Leagues all over the US, from California, Michigan, Florida, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut and New Jersey. All who heard this story wanted to help. Special thanks to them all for helping the children of Ukraine.
Well, how do you ship over 200 boxes of donated equipment to Ukraine? Its over 5000 miles!
With the assistance of the US Ambassador to Ukraine, the Honorable John Herbst, The Children Of Chornobyl Relief and Development Fund and the US State Department, the needed equipment finally arrived into Kyiv in April of 2006. Peace Corps - Ukraine kindly agreed to house the shipment on its grounds in Kyiv.
Later in June, Mr. Tarasco along with some volunteers spent a week breaking down the shipment into smaller starer kits for the orphanages needing the equipment to start playing baseball.
In four days time, he visited 6 orphanages and delivered 8 starter kits. It was time to say "Lets play ball."
Not so fast, who was to train these teachers? Their children? Earlier that March, Mr. Tarasco held the first of two baseball clinics for new teachers / coaches. He raised the funds to pay for the transportation, housing and meals for the teachers from orphanages. Thanks to those kind individuals in the US who helped.
Well, it is now 2007 and eleven orphanages have the training and necessary equipment to play Little League baseball.
Mr. Tarasco decided to bring together the all-star teams from these orphanages and host the first ever Little League Baseball Championships for orphans this June.
Included in this three day program will be a skill competition program for all following the Pitch, Hit and Run program run here in the US. Special thanks to Ms. Jamie Hollopeter of Pitch, Hit and Run for providing the necessary equipment.
Mr. Tarsaco is continuing to rise funds to help pay the costs for transportation, housing, meals, souvenirs and a cultural program for these orphan children.
If you want to help, please contact the Little League Headquarters or EMEA Regional Office in Kutno, Poland.