Fifth grader Hunter Campen noticed recently that his family had too much sports equipment sitting in their garage. Old tee ball bats he no longer used once he started baseball. Youth-sized basketballs untouched now that he plays full-size ball.
Hunter and his dad, Chase Campen, began to consider how many other garages and families in the neighborhood were also packed with decent equipment that was no longer being used, and the two came up with a plan. They organized Hunter’s Sporting Goods Drive to collect gently-used, quality gear and donate it to others who could use it, specifically the Siemon Family Youth & Community Center in South Los Angeles and other youth centers and schools.
Campen started to look around at resources for this first-time drive. He found that the Salvation Army would donate collection trucks and help with distribution to one of their satellite organizations, the Siemon Center. Â St Brendan School, where Hunter attends 5th grade, agreed to have the drive on campus during their basketball game day this Saturday. Â The Wilshire Rotary also joined in to find local schools that could benefit from the sports equipment.
“Hunter is excited to watch the collection come together this Saturday, and he’ll be manning the truck that the Salvation Army is providing to receive the items and thank those who bring them,” Chase Campen told the Buzz.  “We expect to do this at least on an annual basis, and are on the look out for more organizations who can use the items we collect – because we think we’ll be able to collect a lot!”
Consider diving into your own garage or closets before Saturday, details below.
