'The heart of us all'

COEUR d'ALENE - "Get on your feet. Get up and make it happen."

Area fifth-grade students danced, clapped and sang along to Gloria Estefan's pop hit, as the 26th annual Human Rights Celebration at North Idaho College came to an end Friday.

The event, held each year in conjunction with the Martin Luther King Jr. Day, brings school children from Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls together.

The program, entitled "Everyday heroes ... The heart of us all," has become a yearly celebration of those who, like King, have seen their dreams as a call to action.

"He was a great man, an everyday hero who had a fire in his heart to change the world. He had a dream of passion and equality for all people and preached non-violence in his words and actions, especially when dealing with people who showed disrespect," said Kristin Gorringe, principal of Winton Elementary School in Coeur d'Alene, and one of the event emcees, with Pam Pratt, Coeur d'Alene's director of elementary education.

Students sang, danced and shared about some of their own heroes, during the program described by Pratt as, "a celebration for you, and by you."

The keynote speaker, 12-year-old Kira Weiss, works with FUNDaFIELD, a California-based nonprofit that raises funds to build soccer fields for underprivileged children in Africa.

FUNDaFIELD was co-founded by Kyle and Garrett Weiss, Kira's older brothers, after their family attended the World Cup soccer games in Germany in 2006.

At the time, the boys were 13 and 15, and they watched the first Iran vs. Angola soccer match.

Kyle and Garrett discovered the fans in Africa were as passionate about soccer as they were, Kira said, and dismayed when they learned there were no soccer leagues or fields for the children in Africa to enjoy.

She held up a small ball, about a third the size of a regulation soccer ball.

The kids in Africa often make the small balls, Kira said, out of banana leaves and plastic bags.

"My brothers didn't think it was fair that kids across the world didn't have the same opportunities to play soccer and have fun like we do in the United States," Kira said. "It really bothered them, and they decided to do something about it."

With their young friends, the boys began raising money to build soccer fields for the kids living in African countries.

The program grew, and to date, they have raised $135,000, and have built eight soccer fields. There are now six high school FUNDaFIELD clubs in the nation, and three colleges with clubs as well.

"When FUNDaFIELD builds a field, it changes the whole community," Kira said. "Kids make a stronger effort to go to school, teams form and kids meet kids from other villages."

Playing a sport helps children stay healthy while having fun, she said.

FUNDaFIELD has also become a vehicle for bringing other types of assistance to Africa, like HIV/AIDS awareness and education.

"FUNDaFIELD is about helping kids do what we're passionate about, playing soccer. For you, it might not be soccer you care about. It might be water, or dogs, or orphans," Kira said.

She encouraged students to figure out what they care about, and make something happen.

The program, held in NIC's Schuler Performing Art Center, was attended this year by more than 920 local schoolchildren. It was sponsored by the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations, the Human Rights Education Institute, the Coeur d'Alene School District, the NIC Human Equality Club, Kootenai Tribe of Idaho, Coeur d'Alene Tribe, Jeff Crowe, and The Coeur d'Alene Resort.

Pratt, who has been instrumental in developing the program for 26 years, received special recognition since this year's event will be her last. She is retiring later this year from her position at the Coeur d'Alene School District.

"This has been my favorite day of the school year," Pratt said.