Soccer camp organiser Tomi Hirmasto

Freeport business people are really rallying round to make the 2007 English Premier League annual soccer camp a week to remember for needy kids.

Each year camp organisers have made places available for youngsters who cannot afford to pay the registration fee but they have been limited to a small handful, mostly from the Grand Bahama Children’s Home.

This year, thanks to one of the organisers Tomi Hirmasto, who has been calling on businesses across the town, there will be more benefiting and the net can be spread wider to include kids from communities outside Freeport.

Eighteen businesses have so far agreed to fund the programme.   “It has been an outstanding response.   As soon as businesses learn how the children and the island benefit, they promise their support.   We have some really community-minded bosses here,” said Tomi

The camp starts on Monday June 25, with registration the afternoon before, and runs for a week at the rugby and football club field on East Settlers Way.   Participants get lunch and refreshments each day as well as free uniforms, and soccer training as well as a cooling lunchtime dip in the pool.

The top-class international coaches who will be leading the event have already booked their flights from Europe and will be arriving a day or two before to get used to the time difference.   Other arrangements are well under way, including catering, lifeguards for the pool, and first-aiders to deal with any on-field mishaps.

A number of lunches will be provided by local restaurants – further examples of the way businesses are going out of their way to support the event.  

They recognise it is a two-way partnership.   Not only is the soccer camp good for the children who take part, it is good for the island, too.  

In the last four years it has raised thousands of dollars which have been donated to youth sport on Grand Bahama; it has donated clothing to needy hurricane victims; it has given help to the Bahama Babies Foundation; it has conducted mass DNA sampling of children to help build a database in the battle against missing kids; and it has worked with local teachers on innovative ways to use sport to excite pupils to learn.

Hundreds of registration forms have been distributed at local schools.   More are available at Town and Country in Yellow Pine Street, Animale at Port Lucaya, and at the rugby club itself.

Places on the camp are limited to 200 on a first-come, first-served basis.   Parents are advised to register early to avoid their children being disappointed.

The organisations which have supported the sponsored-place programme so far are: Big Cheese Plumbing, Freeport Animal Clinic, Prestige Auto, Island Bedding and Furniture, Sav-Mor Drugs, Holland family, Playtime Sports, Franks Ice Cream, Coral Windows, Municipal Motors, Grand Bahama Power Company, Bullards Plumbing, Halt Industries, Graham Thompson and Co, Sanitation Services, Foto Factory, Uniform Place, Holiday Auto, Top Notch and The Furniture Outlet.

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