DBBC’s Kevin Jenkins is taking his motivational speaking on the road, the international road…South Africa. |
What do the Durham Bulls and Community 512 have in common? On-Field Announcer Kevin Jenkins. And what exactly is Community 512? A poverty stricken area outside of Johannesburg, South Africa. And how is Jenkins a link for Durham and a country half-way around the world? He’s traveling the distance for a 9-day good will tour, leaving the U.S. on Saturday, March 11, 2006.
Besides his day job keeping the crowds energized between innings at the Bulls, Jenkins runs his own company, Konquered, and is a motivational speaker. The South Africa trip will be Jenkins first foray overseas, where he will speak to three different groups including a primary school, AIDS Orphanage and the Center for Abused Children.
Jenkins and his group will also present 47 duffle bags, provided by the Durham Bulls, filled with school supplies, letters from Triangle area middle school students, and personal gifts to the African students.
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Send Off…
Join Kevin Jenkins and the Alpha Lambda chapter of Delta Sigma Theta for the Voyage to Africa Send Off.
The Send Off will occur on the top floor of the Alfonso Elder Student Union at North Carolina Central University on Thursday, March 9, 2006 beginning at 6:00pm.
It will feature spoken word artists from NCCU and a cultural dance provided by the group House Arrest and Hillside High School’s dance group. African cuisine will also be available for sample provided by Sodexho Food Services.
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Jenkins got involved in the trip through the Alpha Lambda chapter of Delta Sigma Theta sorority at North Carolina Central University. As a motivational speaker, each year Jenkins adopts a group with which to work. He happened to be associated with the sorority this year; they had started the ball rolling for this trip to South Africa.
“When I found out about the trip, I though thought, ‘We can make this a lot bigger’,” Jenkins said.
Twenty-one students including Jenkins will make the journey to tour the area and do community service for the impoverished area. They will build roads and a variety of other tasks.
And Jenkins hopes to build figurative roads as well. “I want to spark a next step,” he said. “I want to create interest outside our circle … and create a long-standing deal. I’m trying to find a way to incorporate the kids back here.”
Jenkins hopes that his trek will help forge an alliance between people in the Triangle and the people in Community 512. He wants to create awareness of the poverty and need in this little area near Johannesburg and find a way to make that real to the folks back home.
“I’m worried about making the connection,” he said. “I want people to be activated by [this trip] and continue to do things from here.”
| Stay tuned to capcom for ongoing reports from Jenkins while he is in South Africa. Photos and a follow-up story will also chronicle Jenkins’ return. Details on how to help contribute to the trip and the cause will follow as well. |
Thanks to the Durham Bulls for this capcom photo.
