2025: Week 4

Maybe we can’t change the world…

At Fairplay, we believe everyone deserves a chance. Where you’re born should not decide your whole future. We know our supporters feel the same. We celebrated the stories of Carlo and April, two of our six players to earn College Varsity Futsal Scholarships this year.

Sometimes, though, everything can feel overwhelming. Whether it’s the recent floods or earthquakes in the Philippines, or the overwhelming nature of the cycle of poverty day after day, it’s sometimes hard to see progress. Especially when life throws so many setbacks at you.

There’s an old story of a young boy playing on a beach. Along the beach, though, he sees starfish stranded as far as the eye could see. He picks up one, throws it back into the ocean, goes to the next. He picks up another one, throws it into the ocean. And goes to the next. He keeps doing this over and over again, but the task is impossible. There are thousands of starfish on the beach.

A man watches for a while and, curious, he walks over to the boy and asks, “What are you doing? You can’t help them all…”. The boy pauses and to the man’s surprise tells him, “You’re right”. Then he bends down, picks up another starfish, and throws it into the ocean. “But I can help that one…”. And he quietly moves to the next, picks it up, and throws it back into the ocean. “And that one…”

The man stands still for a moment, pondering what the boy said. Then he picks up a starfish and throws it back into the ocean.

Maybe we can’t change the world…

… but we can change someone’s world.

How You Can Help: Contact Us to Learn More About How to Sponsor a Child Each Month and Help Another Child Become the Next Coach, the Next Tutor, and the Next Mentor

Next Week: A Sneak Peek at the Quarter 3 Newsletter