Professional football player Carson Wentz, quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles in the National Football League (NFL) kicked off a two-week fundraising campaign Wednesday to help bring life transformation to thousands of kids in Haiti through the Mission of Hope Haiti Sports Complex.

Wentz is raising funds for the project through his AO1 Foundation at The Giving Back Fund and says he will personally match every dollar, up to $500,000, that is raised over the next two weeks. The 60-acre sports complex will host sports leagues for 15,000 kids annually and provide programs focused on character development, education, and discipline.

"I believe the sports complex will bring joy, hope, and dignity to thousands of kids and help inspire and develop character in the next generation of leaders in Haiti," said Wentz.

The partnership with Mission of Hope was forged last year during a trip Wentz made to Haiti with his church. During that visit, Carson learned about Mission of Hope’s plan to impact the community through the Haiti Sports Complex and was inspired to get involved. Wentz returned to Haiti this past April, bringing Eagles team members with him to help with Phase I construction of the complex.

The sports complex will include 10 football fields, 2 indoor basketball courts, 6 outdoor basketball courts, a 5,000-seat track stadium, 200-person dormitories, a dining hall, locker rooms and a community park with play areas and lighting. Children will also have access to educational tutoring, nutritious meals, and a safe place to study when they are not in the classroom.

"We are grateful for Carson Wentz and the AO1 Foundation’s efforts to help provide athletic training and character development to thousands of kids throughout the country," says Mission of Hope Haiti president, Brad Johnson. "This is the beginning of building sustainable sports programming that will foster national pride and help change a nation."

Phase I construction is underway and expected to be completed in the fall of 2018.

To learn more or make a donation visit the website : www.ao1foundation.org/events/haiti-sports-complex/

BF/ HaitiLibre