A shipment of Everton kits has made its way to needy children in Africa. Around 4,500 items of clothing, including donations from Blues fans and Everton in the Community, has left St Luke’s Church after KitAid volunteers boxed-up the generous donations, including many from other clubs and their supporters from around Merseyside and beyond.
Everton Heritage Society helped to collect the donations, which are being flown out to thousands of underprivileged youngsters worldwide, including African countries such as Ghana, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Malawi plus the likes of Ecuador and Colombia in South America. And the first batch of Everton kits – and various other kits donated to KitAid – has been hand-delivered to the region of Kokrobrite in Ghana by lifelong Evertonians Tom Petrie and his dad Gordon, who hail from Warrington.
Nii Kwatei, located around one hour from the capital Accra, are one of three teams to have benefited from the donations. Tom has also helped to establish a girls’ football team in Kokrobrite with shorts from Everton and shirts from Langley Park Hotspurs shirts in County Durham.
Richard Gillham, regional KitAid co-ordinator from Merseyside and Cheshire, and secretary of Everton Heritage Society, said: “We were delighted to hear that the first shipment had landed in Ghana recently. The number of kits donated in this latest appeal was over 45,000 items, of which at least 40% were from Everton Football Club and the generosity of the fans.
