Foundation pledges 2,600 soccer balls for youth
Originally published by Champion Newspapers
Kamran Siddiqui would have turned 26 years old on Sept. 12.
The Chino Hills resident was just 22 when he lost his life in a motorcycle accident while heading home to his parents’ house.
To celebrate his passion to help disadvantaged youth, the KAMS Foundation launched an “affirmation ball initiative” on Sept. 12 to provide 2,600 soccer balls to youth.
The KAMS Foundation was formed by Kamran’s family to help children through sports and mentorship.
Kamran’s love of soccer and his passion to speak up for those who were marginalized inspired the family to name the foundation the “Kids’ Affirmation through Mentorship and Sports,” or KAMS.
The 2013 Ayala High School graduate was a third-year student at Cal State Fullerton studying business when his life was tragically cut short, devastating his family and friends.
In the two years before his accident, he had been talking about starting a foundation for disadvantaged youth.
“We wanted to reflect my son’s heart for others and fulfill one of his dreams of having a nonprofit to help kids with their self-esteem,”
said his mother, Debbie Beck-Siddiqui, who leads the foundation.
Affirmations have become a central part of the foundation’s youth empowerment programs, she said.
“Kamran affirmed people,” she said. “Through the foundation, we want to affirm the special in each and every child.”
To get the community involved, the “Affirmation Ball Initiative” will offer residents two opportunities: either donating $10 to provide a soccer ball to a child or volunteering to write positive messages on the balls that are to be given out.
The positive messages are intended to build up youth.
“Words are like weapons,” Mrs. Beck-Siddiqui said. “They can build up or tear down an individual.”
Before COVID, KAMS volunteers held youth empowerment programs that incorporated soccer and motivational talks on character development, respect, trust, and teamwork.
After the program, children were given a soccer ball.
“KAMS coaches tell KAMS Kids that when the world throws negative words at them, we want them to read the positive messages on the balls and believe them,” she said.
During COVID, KAMS has been focusing on distributing the soccer balls at food distribution events in partnership with God’s Pantry.
Over the summer, 500 balls were given through these platforms.
“We had many amazing people in Chino and Chino Hills and surrounding communities volunteer to write on the soccer balls,” she said. “It was great to see so many people get excited to help out, especially during this complicated and chaotic time of COVID.”
To learn about the foundation and get involved with the soccer ball program, call 342-4235 or click here to donate to “KAMS Affirmation Ball Initiative”.
