WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Earlier this year, Kyle Adams decided he wanted to make a greater impact in the lives of kids.
The Purdue football junior tight end and Fellowship of Christian Athletes leader has done just that.
Rather than spending his entire summer on campus, Adams was called to spend part of his time in the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere - Haiti - on a mission trip led by Purdue athletics chaplain Marty Dittmar.
In Haiti, Adams had the opportunity to build houses for needy Haitian families. It was a life-changing experience.
"It was just a little I could do to help in a big way," Adams said. "I learned that anyone has the capacity to make difference in someone's life by just giving those less fortunate something to hope for and by giving them our most valuable resource, our time.
"People should know that there are so many people less fortunate than them out there who need our help. It doesn't take very much to get involved and you can really make a lasting impact on a great number of lives."
Although Adams is a month removed and thousands of miles away from this struggling country, in a many ways his heart remains in Haiti. Building upon his experience abroad he worked with the director of Double Harvest Project, Arthur Spalding, to raise some $3,600 for a sports camp in August. It costs $35 for a Haitian child to go to camp for an entire week. Spalding's sports camp, which is a seven-day getaway for kids aged 15 to 25, provides an experience they will never forget while also helping them develop a relationship with Christ through sports and recreation that will last a lifetime.
