The Final Word.

Well this is it, my final blog post for PPPM 280. This is weird that is all is coming to end. It feels like the term has just flown by, which I’m not complaining about, but at the same time a little unsure about. So for my final post, I’m going to talk a little bit about what stood out to me in class for the past two weeks and then just kind of reflect on the past ten weeks in the wonderful world of nonprofits.

So the main thing that really stuck out to me, over the past two weeks, was when we had the young guy from Peace Players come and talk to us about this nonprofit for which he worked. Peace Players is a nonprofit organization that brings basketball into countries around the world that are either separated by conflict or just need to have unity built into a community someway. The example this speaker, who I cannot remember his name for the life of me, is the example of the first Peace Players community in South Africa. He talked about how members of the organization went down to South Africa gathered a group of kids, improved basketball courts, brought the balls and started like a basketball tournament in the not so nice areas of the country. Eventually kids from all the over the country, nice parts included, became a part of this Peace Players organization and had the opportunity to play with kids from the poorer areas. This allowed the upper class kids and lower class kids to be able to interact with each other when in any other setting they would not. The Peace Players created ‘peace’ in these areas and really brought the area and entire country unity through a little game of basketball. The organization even went on to win an ESPY, ESPN’s version of the Oscars, for their work in South Africa, using basketball as a way of creating community and unity. The organization has now expanded to countries all over the world. The great thing about the man who came in to class to speak to us, was how much passion he had for Peace Players. He was an amazing public speaker and I engaged the whole time he was talking. He was one of those people where you want to listen to what they are saying and sometimes you get lost in the words because you are so engaged. This organization I think is such a creative way to bring two completely different things, basketball and nonprofits, and use them together to create such a great result. It made me want to know more about the organization and try and think of different ways this basic concept could be used today.

So like I said before it is weird this term is coming to an end. It has been a fun ride on the Team 280 bus. A little turbulent at times, we hit a big bump in the road but got through it. I truly feel like a gained such a large respect for nonprofits and the people that choose to commit themselves to something that they truly love. I am still not sure if nonprofits are the right thing for me, but I hope to continue to learn more about them, maybe even take another nonprofit class during my final two years at the UO. I loved coming to class and really looked forward to each day, so I will miss the overall atmosphere of the class but I hope to find that again. I want to thank both Bob and Sarah for all that they do and thank those of your who read this, if that is anybody ☺. So here I would end by saying, until next time, but for now there is no next time, so I will end by saying, and that’s the end of my story.