This is a story about my son, Amara Freeman, a young American kid, who is a
remarkable basketball player but needs financial support to secure his place in the basketball
division of the country’s largest non-profit volunteer sports organization, the Amateur Athletic
Union or AAU.
We, the Freeman’s, are a working-class family from the Lowell, Massachusetts area with
high hopes for our three young children. Amara, age 8, is a rising basketball star. Kaymara,
Amara’s big sister, who is 10, has X linked Chrondrodyspasia, a medical condition which limits
her mobility but not her spirit.
besides being a remarkable student in her own right, Kaymara has mustered the ability to be Amara’s most inspirational motivator and emotional coach. Amara’s youngest sibling, Amali, is also a gifted basketball player, and has his
eyes on following in his big brother’s footsteps.
At the age of four, Amara was devoted to basketball. He took a liking to the sport after
being given, by a generous donor, a pass to attend a University of Massachusetts Lowell
basketball game. Basketball became the center of Amara’s life. Amara would arrive home
from school, complete his homework, and like clockwork march outdoors to bounce the ball
around the driveway. His work ethic was unparalleled, putting in the hard work each and every
day. We picked-up on these early signs of precocity and, in time, decided to make great
sacrifices to take him to the local YMCA for more specialized basketball guidance (see recent
article: http://www.lowellsun.com/news/ci_32477382/ymca-community-team-up-assist-lowell-8-year ).
The excellent staff and laborious training at the Y had a further awakening in Amara’s character –
learning the importance of listening and valuing human relations; engaging in speed, agility, and
coordination exercises; and the high intelligence needed to surmount these skills – all proved
beneficial in other areas of Amara’s life, most especially in education. As a result of these early
basketball experiences, Amara does well in school and is an influential leader and role model to
his peers on and off the courts
.
Today, Amara’s dedication to the sport of basketball has paved the way for him to be
part of his city’s travel team, and not infrequently he finds himself on more than one team at a
time.
In fact, recently he has been selected to play in the AAU basketball
league. To be selected for this league the amateur athlete must be one of the top athletes and
workers in the country. They are also required to travel to tournaments and to pay for their
own accommodation expenses. As our country is experiencing political strife and income
suppression, finding the resources to help families and their kids to meet their basic needs is a
difficult task. No child should be told he has an opportunity of a lifetime but can’t access it
because of financial constraints. Thus, this letter is a call for funding to help my son, Amara
Freeman, pursue his passion and continue to grow in the sport he loves (and beyond).
Specifically, we are seeking funds to be used to assist Amara and our family to attend
basketball tournaments around the country. We are a young and close-knit family and due to
the ages of our children would find it logistically difficult to not include all members of the
family in traveling to Amara's tournaments. There are 8 national tournaments. The games will be
held from La Habra, California and Hot Springs, Arkansas to Hampton, Virginia and Coral
Springs, Florida as of now. We estimate the cost for flight tickets, food, car rental, and hotel accommodations
between $2,500.00 and $3,500.00 per tournament. We currently have a total budget of $1000.00 to help defray
some of the expenses but need help with the balance.
It is our hope that you will support Amara’s amazing work ethic by helping to fund his
GoFundMe campaign. Any funds that you provide would go directly to our family’s banking
account at Digital Federal Credit Union in Lowell, Massachusetts. If you have any questions,
please feel free to contact me, Amara Freeman Sr. Thank you.
remarkable basketball player but needs financial support to secure his place in the basketball
division of the country’s largest non-profit volunteer sports organization, the Amateur Athletic
Union or AAU.
We, the Freeman’s, are a working-class family from the Lowell, Massachusetts area with
high hopes for our three young children. Amara, age 8, is a rising basketball star. Kaymara,
Amara’s big sister, who is 10, has X linked Chrondrodyspasia, a medical condition which limits
her mobility but not her spirit.
besides being a remarkable student in her own right, Kaymara has mustered the ability to be Amara’s most inspirational motivator and emotional coach. Amara’s youngest sibling, Amali, is also a gifted basketball player, and has his
eyes on following in his big brother’s footsteps.
At the age of four, Amara was devoted to basketball. He took a liking to the sport after
being given, by a generous donor, a pass to attend a University of Massachusetts Lowell
basketball game. Basketball became the center of Amara’s life. Amara would arrive home
from school, complete his homework, and like clockwork march outdoors to bounce the ball
around the driveway. His work ethic was unparalleled, putting in the hard work each and every
day. We picked-up on these early signs of precocity and, in time, decided to make great
sacrifices to take him to the local YMCA for more specialized basketball guidance (see recent
article: http://www.lowellsun.com/news/ci_32477382/ymca-community-team-up-assist-lowell-8-year ).
The excellent staff and laborious training at the Y had a further awakening in Amara’s character –
learning the importance of listening and valuing human relations; engaging in speed, agility, and
coordination exercises; and the high intelligence needed to surmount these skills – all proved
beneficial in other areas of Amara’s life, most especially in education. As a result of these early
basketball experiences, Amara does well in school and is an influential leader and role model to
his peers on and off the courts
.Today, Amara’s dedication to the sport of basketball has paved the way for him to be
part of his city’s travel team, and not infrequently he finds himself on more than one team at a
time.
In fact, recently he has been selected to play in the AAU basketballleague. To be selected for this league the amateur athlete must be one of the top athletes and
workers in the country. They are also required to travel to tournaments and to pay for their
own accommodation expenses. As our country is experiencing political strife and income
suppression, finding the resources to help families and their kids to meet their basic needs is a
difficult task. No child should be told he has an opportunity of a lifetime but can’t access it
because of financial constraints. Thus, this letter is a call for funding to help my son, Amara
Freeman, pursue his passion and continue to grow in the sport he loves (and beyond).
Specifically, we are seeking funds to be used to assist Amara and our family to attend
basketball tournaments around the country. We are a young and close-knit family and due to
the ages of our children would find it logistically difficult to not include all members of the
family in traveling to Amara's tournaments. There are 8 national tournaments. The games will be
held from La Habra, California and Hot Springs, Arkansas to Hampton, Virginia and Coral
Springs, Florida as of now. We estimate the cost for flight tickets, food, car rental, and hotel accommodations
between $2,500.00 and $3,500.00 per tournament. We currently have a total budget of $1000.00 to help defray
some of the expenses but need help with the balance.
It is our hope that you will support Amara’s amazing work ethic by helping to fund his
GoFundMe campaign. Any funds that you provide would go directly to our family’s banking
account at Digital Federal Credit Union in Lowell, Massachusetts. If you have any questions,
please feel free to contact me, Amara Freeman Sr. Thank you.
Organizer
Natural Soullife
Organizer
Lowell, MA