Dec. 15, 2014
On Monday, the group’s third day in Costa Rica, Vanderbilt’s 15 student-athletes and support staff experienced their first shoe distribution. The Commodore contigency headed south about 30 minutes (without traffic) to Leon XIII, a highly urbanized, poor community in the San Jose metropolitan area. Our host, Lillian Solt, of Clinica CEDCAS, coordinated a shoe distribution with the pastor of a church Leon XIII — Igelesias Bautista Puertas del Espiritu Santo. The children, ranging from pre-K to fourth grade, and their families had to admit a ticket they had received earlier from Lillian and the church’s pastor. With school out this week for summer break, it was unsure how many children would come. Over more than four hours, in two sessions, a total of 406 pairs of shoes were distributed. The Vanderbilt crew shared responsibilities and rotated from the sizing station, the washing/fitting station and the decorating/drawing station.
On Sunday, Lillian asked the group how many could speak Spanish. No one admitted to being fluent in the language. She then asked if anyone knew how to smile in Spanish. That, they knew they had perfected and by the end of the day on Monday, everybody was all smiles or sonrisas. Thanks to a handful of translators — Chello, Debora and Brando — and learning and picking up words along the way, communication wasn’t difficult and the the first day was a huge success.
Over the next few days, several Vanderbilt student-athletes on the trip will blog and share their favorite memories and stories from Costa Rica. Today, sophomore Jake Van Geffen of the men’s cross country team describes how one little boy left a lasting impact on the entire group.
I’d like to use this blog post to share the story of Hector, a boy we met today during our first shoe distribution. He definitely served us in a much greater way than we served him.
We first met Hector during our lunch break between the distribution times; a few of us were outside the church attempting to kick the hacky sack that Taylor bought yesterday in the marketplace. Attempting is obviously the key word in that sentence. Hopefully we can actually keep it in the air for longer than a few seconds by the end of the week.
Anyways, we are all standing in an overgrown parking lot kicking it around when a couple of neighborhood boys walk up and ask to play. We then struggled through some broken Spanish and found out their names were Hector and Luis (Side note: Not being fluent in Spanish has made this trip so much more fun. It has been such an experience trying to figure out what the children are trying to say then devising a way to appropriately respond. Thankfully, we have had some of the most patient kids in the world, because I’m sure most people wouldn’t be so accommodating).
After exhausting ourselves with the hacky sack for several minutes, Hector asked if we would play a game of soccer with him if he left to get his ball. We told him this was a great idea, and soon we had a real game underway. Now, this field was almost the complete opposite of the pristine stadium pitches the Costa Rican national team played in for this past summer’s World Cup. The perfectly manicured grasses were replaced by asphalt and bits of trash, the goalposts by pairs of tattered shoes, and the Adidas ball by a partially deflated plastic ball. But to say that there was any less passion in our game would be an enormous fallacy. The kids ran all over the lot, calling for the ball and attempting the signature moves of their favorite professionals (Cristiano Ronaldo seemed to be the most popular). Soon, children from all over the neighborhood began to line the edge of the lot after the hearing the repeated choruses of “GOOOOL!!!” With everyone joining in, the game started to look less like a soccer match, and more like a blob of people running in circles, with a bright yellow ball occasionally making an appearance.
But it didn’t matter to these kids; they looked like they were having the time of their lives, and, honestly, I believe that we were as well. And none of this would have happened without Hector and his infectious enthusiasm.
Jake, Hector and Taylor.
The site of Monday’s shoe distribution — Iglesia Bautista Puertas del Espiritu Santo.
Gabby gives a high-five after washing the feet of a young boy with a cast on his left foot.
Hannah, Gabby, Jill and Christiana wash the feet of the children before giving them new shoes, which are BOBS donated by SKECHERS.
Mallory and Allison wash and strap on the shoes.
Goalies Christiana and Shannon boot the futbol around with a neighborhood child after he received new shoes.
Shannon helps a little girl decorate her new pair of shoes at the drawing/marker station.
Taylor washes the feet of a young boy with a star cut into his hair that is striking similiar to a certain Star V.
Mallory, Jake and Matt wash the feet of local children.
Vanessa with local children before the first shoe distribution.
The group poses for a photo before a friendly game of futbol, thanks to Hector bringing his soccer ball from home.
Skyler marks the size of a young boy’s shoe after getting sized.
Baker, Gabby and Vanessa receive smiles as they wash the feet of three young boys.
The drawing/decorating station kept busy all morning and afternoon as beautiful and creative designs were drawn onto the new shoes.
By the end of the first distribution, in the morning, 231 children had received shoes.
Vanessa marks a young girl’s hand after sizing her shoe.
An excited and anxious crowd awaits Vanessa at the sizing station for the second shoe distribution after lunch.
Allison’s Star V tattoo station was a hit.
The line for the afternoon session wrapped around the church.
Skyler and two young girls take a break from decorating their shoes.
Jill receives a hug from a girl whose feet she washed earlier in the day.
Hannah receives a flower from a young boy before she washes his feet.
Megan plays patty cake with a new friend.
Taylor also makes a new friend as several dogs either wandered in with their owners or stray dogs passed through the church.
Allison provided her own pair of shoes to a boy after the shoes in stock weren’t big enough.
Matt places shoes on a young girl’s feet after washing her feet.
Gabby decorates a young girl’s shoes.
Taylor, above, and Mallory, below, sum up the day as sonrisas — smiles — were aplenty on Monday and expect to continue on Tuesday with the next shoe distribution.
