Lynden native and former Lions basketball standout Kent VanderYacht is looking to expand his ministry to include teaching hoops to children in his adopted homeland of South Africa. And you can help.
Kent and his wife, Lyndall, already run Hearts That Hope, an orphanage in their hometown of Ballitoville. But after helping coach at one of the state’s biggest high schools last year, Kent saw a need for training young South Africans not only in basketball skills but also for mentoring in life skills.
To see how Kent’s dream started more than a year ago, check out A Story Of Hope.
With interest in basketball exploding in the country, Kent started Yachts of Fun junior basketball academy. Offering private individual lessons has led to training local coaches, and now he is being contacted about putting on camps and even tournaments.
The problem is the lack of courts and hoops in South Africa, and specifically in their area.
Now, Kent has been given an opportunity to rectify that situation. He has land earmarked for a court that could host not only practices and games but eventually youth camps and team tournaments.
It is a big project and involves more than just putting down asphalt. To see what Kent is proposing, check out the newsletter below that he has sent out. You also can visit the Ballito Basketball Academy Facebook page or on Instagram.
If you would like to donate funds to help this worthwhile cause, you can do so through the Hearts That Hope USA non-profit ministry. To learn more, you can contact Monty Bosman of Lynden at montybosman5@gmail.com.
Kent also is hoping to get people to help coach or run a basketball camp. If you’re interested, you can e-mail him directly at kent@heartsthathope.com.
For more photos, see the gallery below.
