NOWnews / Reporter Jin Wu-Feng / Taichung Report

Sending love to remote communities! Braving the scorching sun, a delegation from the China Youth Corps Taichung South District Committee paid a personal visit to Dili Elementary School in Xinyi Township today. They donated a massive batch of supplies, including basketballs, to the school's basketball team. The young players immediately put on their brand-name basketball shoes and began practicing with the new Spalding basketballs, their faces brimming with joy. Delegation leader Kuo Pei-Ying, Chairperson of the South District Committee, expressed her hope that through this enthusiastic charitable assistance, they can help these remote community youth fulfill their basketball dreams and ultimately transform their lives.

Dili Elementary School has long prioritized basketball as a key institutional goal, actively promoting a sports talent initiative for Indigenous youth, with basketball development yielding the most successful results. Over the past eight years, under the guidance of professional coaches, the Dili Elementary School basketball team has achieved outstanding milestones. Many exceptional players are scouted and recruited even before graduation, being selected for renowned school basketball teams across the country to undergo more advanced and professional training at the junior high school level. The school has truly become a cradle for nurturing basketball talent.

However, remote communities frequently suffer from a shortage of resources, and the team's basketball gear was inevitably basic and rudimentary. Upon learning about this situation, South District Chairperson Kuo Pei-Ying led a team of volunteers in March to conduct an in-depth visit and care initiative. They discovered that the children on the Dili Elementary School basketball team were incredibly dedicated, practicing diligently every day. Consequently, basketball shoes became the most rapidly consumed item, and some children even had to practice barefoot on the court, creating an urgent need for fresh supplies.

To address this, they launched small-amount online fundraising to pool public goodwill and resources. They successfully raised 32 pairs of Nike basketball shoes—ensuring one pair for every player on the team—32 Spalding basketballs, over 10 boxes of shelf-stable milk, 96 pairs of Iron Man basketball socks, and 5 UVC mold-eliminating and deodorizing devices. In total, the supplies filled more than 10 large boxes, which were transported in a grand convoy today from Taichung City to Dili Village and donated to the Dili Elementary School basketball team as a practical action to cheer them on.

Despite today being a holiday, the entire coaching staff and student-athletes of the basketball team eagerly waited at the school. When they saw the brand-new sneakers meticulously chosen to match each individual's size, every one of them flashed a brilliant smile. Fifth-grader Sung Chia-Yu stated that every player loves playing basketball, but what they lacked most was a good pair of shoes. Now that everyone has a pair of perfectly fitting sneakers that provide excellent ankle support, they can run lighter, jump higher, and minimize the risk of injury. He promised that they would give it their absolute all and showcase their skills in future tournaments.

Tseng Hsiao-Ju, Principal of Dili Elementary School, expressed that the family financial conditions of children in remote communities are generally not abundant. Through basketball training, the school continuously provides support and encouragement, empowering children to face challenges bravely and cultivate a spirit of never giving up. She added that although the Bunun children are naturally smaller in stature and do not have as favorable an environment as others, they demonstrate incredible focus, agility, and endurance on the court. As long as they persevere, they will surely carve out a path that uniquely belongs to them!

Kuo Kuo-Hui, Chairman of the Taichung China Youth Corps, stated that the China Youth Corps has always been dedicated to promoting public welfare services guided by its four core pillars: "Public Welfare, Service, Education, and Health." He emphasized that it is immensely valuable and rare for Dili Elementary School to successfully develop its basketball program despite limited resources. He expressed his deep gratitude to enterprise owners from EASY SMART TRANSCEND CO., LTD. , Ching-Lien Security, February Dining Business Group, Yung-Sheng Gardening & Landscaping, Jing-Hong Landscape Co., Ltd., and Bai-Gong Construction for eagerly participating in gathering the supplies during the pandemic. This collaborative effort ensured that the remote community children no longer have to practice barefoot; equipped with proper gear, they can now better perform during daily training and official games, paving the way to potentially transform their lives.

Source: NOWnews