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INDIA bound ... Darren and Karen with Lewis and a Manchester United strip that will go to Goa to help orphans
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Kit catch is a real Goa!
Diane Leach15/12/2007
A COUPLE’S holiday in Goa looks set to bring smiles to children’s faces.
Darren Tyson and Karen Mercy plan on taking donated football kits to a Catholic-run boys’ home.
Darren and Karen, of Tonacliffe Road, Whitworth, said something as simple as a pen puts a smile on their faces, so they expect the children will be overwhelmed when they spy their new soccer strips.
Karen said: “During our last visit to Goa we noticed that the kids are into football as opposed to other parts of India where cricket is the first sport.
“The home is run by Catholic priests. This part of India is mainly Catholic due to its Portuguese colonial past – hence their passion for football.
“The home receives no government aid and is run purely by donations.”
The couple are appealing for football kits and footballs to take to the home when they travel on 27 December and have been given an extra 20kg baggage allowance by the airline.
Darren said: “If it weighs any more we’ll just pay the difference. We can also send stuff over.”
The couple, who are regulars at The Birches pub in Broadley, have already received donations of outgrown soccer shirts and the like from their friends.
“Whitworth Valley Football Club has given us a full team strip and a car cleaning company has very kindly given me two sets of five-a-side strips,” said Darren, who works in property management.
“People have been very generous and the kids are going to be over the moon.”
Darren, who has a two-year-old son, Lewis, added: “The kids in this home are the lucky ones, really, as there are other children on the streets who don’t have a home.
“I saw one little lad wearing a football shirt and it was ragged and hanging off his back.”
“You can’t help them all, but it’s nice to take time out while having a holiday and at least make some of the kids happy.
“It’s very easy to forget how lucky our children are in this country.”
Anyone who wishes to donate football kit can drop it off at The Birches.
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16/12/2007 at 10:11