an e-mail sent this evening...

Dear friends,

Let me try to help in some way. Vila Velha, the city where I live in, started a football team just training on the beach in front of my building. The first thign that came to my mind was to give them a chance to play it for real. I mean with an american team. It was almost two years ago. They tried to do their best, even practicing on the sand. Although didn´t knowing how I never stoped wondering about that possibility.

My daughter Laura studies at Marshall University, in Huntington-WV. She is very connected with the international students bureau and we have been talking about some kind of exchange programs. It is a plant, process and patient methodology.

And so, few days ago a friend came to me and said that he is helping the guys that play american football - and now, after practcing those years on the beach, they won the national championship last year - in Vila Velha. This year they are leading the competition, #1. In the average they are very simple people, with no good family income. But they are very good on what they do.

And I said to my friend: do you think you coud fundraise some money for the airline tickets? And he goes: yes, I think I can work hard on that. There are 50 people to go.

I thought about Marshall team and started to work on this with the help of my daughter Laura. But it could be another one.

the point now is that as long as we fundraise the money to buy the airline tickets we will still need to put them in a hotel or family houses. A hotel could be like 3 of them in each room. It would mean almos 20 rooms. And meals.

The other point would be to get the visa for them. That´s why I am always talking about our connections to the americam Consulate in Rio or the Embassy in Brasilia. I have worked for the American Embassy as a youth ambassador group coordinator and I think I could work hard on this matter. But I still think we need to be in a formal way acknowledged to the Embassy.

So, if you agree that this dream is something that we should pursue, we  need to find out how to give them room and board while there (2 weeks).

The path is not ready, the way does not exist already, but as we walk we may build it.

best regards,

PS: when I talked about this idea to Tasso today I felt that he could even play with our guys!