Michael Knox teaches at the Helen Betty Osborne Ininu Education Resource Centre (HBOIERC) in Norway House Cree Nation, and is also a coach for the boys’ and girls’ indoor soccer teams, which are fundraising for a trip to Winnipeg in June to watch a FIFA Women’s World Cup game. “I would like to see the game grow here as much as possible, and one of the best ways and an important way for that to happen is for the youth to see a game being played at its highest level. That way they can see what the game is really about, and how skillful the players are, and what goes into playing at the highest level,” said Knox.
Both teams excelled in the Frontier Games, with the boys placing third and the girls winning the championship game in a shootout. “When it was all said and done the girls were just thrilled,” said Knox. “They were jumping up and down, hugging each other, and the people in the stands like family were coming onto the court and hugging them. It was a nice sight to see, and I was glad they won.”
Knox mentioned the possibility of travelling to Winnipeg during the tryouts for the teams, but didn’t speak much about it to the players.
The teams secured tickets for the game through the Frontier School Division, but have to raise money for accommodations, food and travel. Knox started a GoFundMe campaign thinking it may bring in some extra cash. “I had seen GoFundMe the odd time on Facebook, but I never thought too much of it. I thought we might get something. I started it up, and honestly I wasn’t expecting the kind of responses we’ve had so far, and the kind of donations we’ve gotten. I thought we might reach this total at the very end.” As of March 27 the online campaign was nearly at $1,000. The goal is $3,500.
Other fundraising projects will include homemade pizzas to order in the community, as well as other activities after spring break. Online donations will be open until the trip in June, and can be found on the GoFundMe site under “School Trip to Women’s World Cup.”
