When it comes to helping others, Joshua Canzio has really knocked one one out of the park.
The Waterdown teen is looking forward to taking part in St. Mary Catholic Secondary School’s mission trip to Dominican Republic this March Break - but he won’t be travelling lightly. The Grade 11 student will be taking along enough baseball gear to outfit a couple of teams of children in the impoverished rural mountainous region of the country where he and his classmates will be working.
This is the 26th year for the Dominican Republic Education and Medical Support (DREAMS) program. St. Mary students and staff will be helping to build homes for families in need in San Jose de Ocoa. To date, DREAMS has built 61 homes, a school and a teacher’s residence in the area.
Canzio said he was inspired to do an equipment drive by his older brother Noah, who did a similar collection when he participated in DREAMS a few years ago.
“Seeing the impact he made, made me eager to make a difference in the community I will work in,” said Canzio in an email.
So, last month, backed by the unwavering support of his family, he set about organizing a drive of his own. He created digital posters asking for donations and shared them with the St. Mary feeder schools and on Waterdown social media pages. At school, he went on the morning announcements to spread the word.
Canzio also approached the Waterdown Minor Baseball Association, where he played on teams for many years.
“President Chris Simpson and Vice President Krista Harwood generously made a significant contribution,” noted Canzio, whose athletic accomplishments also include playing quarterback for the St. Mary’s Crusaders senior football team.
The community response to the drive was fantastic, bringing in bats, balls, helmets, gloves and apparel.
“I wanted to ensure there is enough equipment to outfit two full teams, and there's now way more than that, thanks to all of the generous donations,” said Canzio. “Growing up, I was fortunate to play baseball with nice equipment, and this is my chance to share that privilege with a community in need.”
This week, the items will be dropped off at the school, where St. Mary’s Chaplain Don Hall will ensure everything is packed into a large shipping barrel for the trip. In addition to the baseball gear, the school will be sending barrels containing donations of construction tools, as well as soccer balls collected by another St. Mary’s student.
“The plan is to ship these barrels five weeks ahead of our trip to the Dominican Republic,” noted Canzio. “If needed, I am prepared to take additional equipment and supplies in an extra suitcase on the plane to ensure everything collected arrives.”
Canzio notes that baseball is the national sport in Dominican Republic, and giving kids the equipment to play is a way to bring people together.
“I hope it allows a community to connect through a sport that they are passionate about,” he says. “I hope it promotes children to be active, practise skills and have fun. Maybe it will inspire the next Vladimir Guerrero Jr.!”
Canzio says he’s looking forward to seeing the impact the donations have during the DREAMS mission.
“The most rewarding part of this journey is still ahead — seeing it being distributed and enjoyed,” he says. “I’m looking forward to playing a baseball game with the local children in whichever community we are deployed to build a home. A friendly game of D.R. vs. Canada would be awesome!”
DREAMS organizers note that rising construction costs are impacting the mission, and they continue to collect donations to support the program, such as building tools, school supplies and household items, along with financial contributions.
DREAMS is also raising money for this year’s trip at Waterdown Boston Pizza on Jan. 29, when 10 per cent of all proceeds at the Clappison Ave. restaurant from 6 to 8 p.m. will go to the mission.
