Girl refurbishing used sports equipment to help kids in need

January 23, 2013

M’Kendree Dick, 10, of Guymon, with some of the used sports equipment she’s in the process of refurbishing. (Staff photo/Shawn Yorks)

Participating in sports is said to build character, promote a healthy lifestyle, and teach teamwork and responsibility.

M’Kendree Dick of Guymon is a prime example of that sentiment. The well-spoken, intelligent 10-year-old is a total athlete — into all sports. The 5th grader even played football for the Goodwell Eagles 5th/6th grade team last season.

She believes every kid should have a chance to play and be a part of a team. So when she saw that people were selling their used sports equipment Online, she decided to do it too, but with a twist.

M’Kendree is taking donations of used sports equipment, refurbishing it herself, and donating it back to kids in need — for free.

“Other people sell their sports equipment Online and I was thinking, why not give them to someone for free that needs them,” M’Kendree said.

M’Kendree is spreading the word on Facebook. She’s set up a Facebook page called M’Kendree’s Dugout (http://www.facebook.com/MKendreesDugout).

She’s taking any and all kinds of gently used sports equipment — baseball and softball gloves, football cleets, baseball and softball helmets, football pads, golf clubs, and shoes. Anything that can be refurbished and given to a child who otherwise might not be able to play sports because their parents can’t afford the equipment.

M’Kendree began the project in the Summer of 2011, but has recently started to get it cranking.

“I just started setting it up but I’ve been collecting all this stuff for two years,” she said.

She’s mostly collected softball and baseball equipment, but hopes to also collect basketball, football, golf, and dance equipment to be redistributed. Her goal is to eventually branch out to be able to assist low income families with fees involved in registration for some of these sports. She truly believes that every child should be part of a team.

The refurbishing usually means removing names from gloves and bats.

“Sometimes I have to take the names off them, usually have to fix the laces that are broken and on baseball helmets usually it’s the padding that falls off so I have to hot glue it back in,” she said. “On the bats I have to make sure there’s no names on them and make sure the grip is good.”

She said she will continue the project as long as it takes.

“I don’t really know for right now but I’ll keep doing it for awhile,” she said.

And she said that the equipment will be given to anybody that needs it, whether it be an individual athlete or a league like Kids Inc.

To help M’Kendree with her project, go to her Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/MKendreesDugout and send her a message.

She’ll make arrangements to collect the equipment and get to work giving it new life, to help local kids get out on the field.