The Hope-Calvin rivalry is as competitive and enjoyable to watch as any in the country, no matter the sport.
A league championship, of first place in the MIAA standings, always seems to be up for grabs when they meet. Friendly bragging rights are fun to have, too. Yet, off the playing field, there is a deep respect between the two schools and a desire to make an impact in the West ichigan area and the world.
This desire is on display again today when Hope and Calvin come together for a "Night of Nets" at Calvin to help fight malaria in Africa.
There is a men's soccer and volleyball doubleheader at Calvin beginning at 4:30 p.m.. with the men's soccer match featuring eighth-ranked Hope and Calvin and continuing with the 7 p.m. volleyball match with fifth-ranked Hope and top-ranked Calvin.
Every spectator that pays $10 at the Calvin/Hope men's soccer or women's volleyball games today will get a T-shirt and a barbeque dinner, but more important, $6 of that money will buy one mosquito net to be sent over to a sub-Saharan Africa.
More on Hope men's soccer
Flying Dutchmen rise to eighth in national poll
"Night For Nets" webpage
Calvin men's soccer Ryan Souders was inspired with the idea for this project after he took some time to take a trip to impoverished areas Africa with Team World Vision, an internationally-recognized committee for social justice, he began looking for ways to integrate his love for soccer and a vision for social change
Souders became connected with the Night of Nets campaign at Cornerstone University has raised over $35,000 to purchase almost 6000 bed nets for families in sub-Saharan Africa over the past three years.
Cornerstone's goal is to raise $30,000 to provide bed nets for 5000 Zambian families affected by malaria.
Every night more than 2,000 children worldwide die from malaria. Spread by the bite of mosquitoes, malaria is one of the world's deadliest predators, killing more than 750,000 children under age of 5 every year and costing Africa's economy more than $12 billion in productivity.
Bed nets will be distributed through two different Christian organizations in Zambia. Jubilee Center is a Zambian Christian NGO – working to empower churches, communities and their leaders to grow spiritually, flourish physically and have a voice in the world. World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice, serving close to 100 million people in nearly 100 countries around the world.
Come out today and support this great cause, while also enjoying two spirited Hope-Calvin contests.
