Happy National Volunteer Week!
This week, April 17-23, 2022, is National Volunteer Week. Celebrated annually in the third week of April, National Volunteer Week is about recognizing the contributions made by volunteers and encouraging others to make a difference through volunteerism. This week was first established in 1974 by Presidential Proclamation, in order to highlight the various volunteering opportunities available. It is a chance to thank volunteers across the nation and world who keep organizations running, communities safe, and who provide services that would otherwise not be available.
Volunteering comes in all shapes and sizes. It’s volunteers who keep community fire departments and ambulances running; co-ops, food banks, and soup kitchens open; and who provide food, shelter, medical care, and clothing to those in need. Volunteers can also be someone who will listen or be a shoulder to lean on when it’s needed most or someone who offers advice as a mentor. There is truly no limit to how you can offer your time and services to others.
In honor of #NationalVolunteerWeek, take this opportunity to thank a volunteer, find opportunities to volunteer in your own community or in other communities in need, and share your own volunteer experiences, as it may inspire others to volunteer themselves. People who volunteer develop new skills, build their personal and professional networks, forge a deeper connection with their communities and service organizations, and experience the joy of serving a larger cause.
Take a moment to explore the volunteer opportunities we have available here at LtN. Volunteering with LtN abroad is an incredibly unique and rewarding experience. LtN is an integral part of the communities where we work, providing volunteers with genuine connections, invaluable community development and nonprofit experience, and lifelong memories. You can volunteer for a one-week service trip, a 1-3 month internship, or a 6+ month fellowship as a Program Director at one of our international sites.
You can find more details about each of our volunteer opportunities and apply here! Take the leap in honor of National Volunteer Week and join our LtN team.
#NationalVolunteerWeek
Celebrate International Day of Sport for Development and Peace
International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP) is celebrated annually on April 6th. The UN observes and values this day because they recognize the positive influence that sport can have on the advancement of human rights, and social and economic development. With the popularity of sport worldwide, and its foundation of positive values, sport has an incredible ability to contribute to the UN’s objectives for development and peace.
In the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, sport’s role in and potential for social progress is further acknowledged: "Sport is also an important enabler of sustainable development. We recognize the growing contribution of sport to the realization of development and peace in its promotion of tolerance and respect and the contributions it makes to the empowerment of women and young people, individuals, and communities as well as to health, education, and social inclusion objectives."
The power of sport and the potential it holds to do good in the world is everything that Lacrosse the Nations is about. Our mission at Lacrosse the Nations is to improve the lives of children across the world. We use lacrosse as our tool and the lacrosse field as our platform to teach students valuable life skills and improve education, while ultimately bringing joy to their lives.
Each of our program sites is built with an emphasis on sustainability. To achieve sustainability, we are committed to having cultural relevance, mindful partnerships, and dedicated staff at each of our international sites. We collaborate with local leaders to identify how LtN can best help their community, and then adapt our programs to address their specific challenges. We partner with schools and organizations on the ground to be our eyes, ears, and trusted advisors. These local leaders help provide us with the necessary infrastructure to bring lacrosse to new communities. Our staff members are leaders in the communities we serve. Through our program model, LtN coaches become valuable mentors and role models for our student-athletes.
You can learn more about what we do and how we do it from our mission to our model here. Day in and day out, LtN is using sport for development and peace in our communities around the world.
“Sport has the power to align our passion, energy, and enthusiasm around a collective cause. And that is precisely when hope can be nurtured and trust can be regained. It is in our collective interest to harness the tremendous power of sport to help build a better and more sustainable future for all." -UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed
#InternationalDayOfSportForDevelopmentAndPeace #IDSDP #UNSustainableDevelopmentGoals #SportForDevelopment #S4D
Kylie Ohlmiller reflects on KO17 Lacrosse trip to LtN Panama
the group puts together new equipment before heading to their first practice of the week
The week of February 19th, 2022 — I embarked on a trip to a country I had never been to before. Alongside my younger sister, Taryn, and my best friend of 25 years, Hana, we gathered three equipment bags full of heads, shafts, and goodies and headed to JFK Airport.
We were heading to Bocas del Toro, Panama for a trip to work with Lacrosse the Nations. LtN was kind enough to provide KO17 Lacrosse with a fundraising page to help contribute to our travel expenses to Panama — while KO17 Lacrosse held an equipment drive to collect sticks, protective gear, clothing, and all kinds of goods that the LtN staff would be able to distribute amongst their programs. The KO17 Fam showed UP when it came to their donations, and we couldn’t be more thankful and appreciative to all who contributed.
Left to Right: Country Director Maria McDonough, Program Director Caleigh DeCaprio, Hana Lepore, Taryn Ohlmiller, Former Program Director Maddie Finnen, Assistant Coach Sizzla Alvarez, and Kylie Ohlmiller
When the trio from Islip landed in Panama, we were greeted by yet another one of our closest friends from Islip - Caleigh DeCaprio (Panama Program Director). Caleigh is working for Lacrosse the Nations and living in Bocas del Toro full time this year, alongside our new friend, Maria McDonough (Panama Country Director). These two incredible women welcomed us with open arms and created the most thoughtful itinerary for our KO17 Lacrosse trip, not only showing us the beauty that is this vast archipelago in the Caribbean - but also fully immersing us in the culture that they and their community live and breathe every single day.
Exploring Isla Bastimentos while on a hike to Wizard Beach - which included a stop at the home and business of one of our LtN families!
Throughout the course of one week, we experienced everything that Bocas del Toro has to offer — from hikes across islands to hidden beachfronts, to eating every meal on docks just yards away from crystal blue water, to taking a tour through a historic cacao farm and preservative rain forest, to horseback riding through sloth-filled forests on the beach. Each day was jam-packed with sights and activities that we can truthfully say we had never had the chance to experience before this trip, and can now gladly say we are so lucky to have real memories of.
On top of the exciting adventures that Caleigh & Maria planned for us — we were able to go to lacrosse practice and meet the kids whose smiles were so contagious it truly was an experience we will never forget. We played Hungry Hungry Hippos and ran relay races, we tried goalie sticks for the first time [thanks to those in our KO17 Fam who donated those], we scrimmaged with Hana hopping in on the action [full speed or no speed at all, naturally], and Taryn and I even played goalie while we worked on our shots [not well, but hey, trying new things is always good!].
Morning beach clean-up with new friends
We met some new young friends as we spent one morning along the local beach cleaning up trash and plastic. We brushed up on our Spanish, with the help of our friends Xia, Silas, Anis, Seta, and of course - Coach Maria, who impressively became fluent simply by living in Bocas for the last 2.5 years! We learned that many of the players in the LtN program have families from all over the world and speak many different languages, so fully absorbing some of the common terms used on the lacrosse field to communicate with one another during practices was one of our favorite parts of the lacrosse experience!
Kylie learning some Spanish lax lingo from Anis and Elmer on the sidelines
During our last night in Bocas, we went around the dinner table at a lovely sushi restaurant on the water and shared our ‘roses and thorns’ of the weeklong trip. When we say it was difficult to think of our thorns, it truly was. What was truly special about this discussion, though, was learning that every one of us shared a unique rose. Each one of us had a different highest moment from the trip to share with the group— and to us, that means the trip was quite successful!
We are so grateful to have been able to bring what we could from those who support KO17 Lacrosse to Panama through this trip with Lacrosse the Nations. On top of that, we are so incredibly indebted to the staff and kids at LtN for the experiences and perspective they gave us this February Break.
From Islip, Long Island to Bocas Del Toro, Panama
Lacrosse is something that we can all share a bond over, smile about, create memories playing, and learn about each other through. It’s such a special thing that gathers us all together — whether it is 4 girls from a small town on Long Island reunited as adults in Panama to coach the sport they all fell in love with as kids. Or something that allows a small company like KO17 Lacrosse to reach a community it may have never had the opportunity to without an organization as dedicated as Lacrosse the Nations. Lacrosse is that thing that no matter what language we speak, or what country we are from, or who we are — we can all gather around it and smile while we have the chance to play it together.
It’s special. And that’s what this trip with Lacrosse the Nations will forever be remembered as by us — so special. Thank you LtN for accepting us into your home and showing us the beauty that is Bocas.
Nuestros corazones están llenos.
Muchas gracias, Lacrosse the Nations!
Con Cariño,
Kylie Ohlmiller
KO17 Lacrosse