THIS NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION IS IN OUR SON’S MEMORY. DANIEL WAS 10 YEARS OLD, JUST ONE MONTH SHY OF BEING 11. THIS HAPPENED TO HIM FROM A HOMEMADE SOCCER GOAL FALLING OVER ON HIM.

EVERY DAY DANIEL AND I WOULD WALK ACROSS OUR STREET TO THE SUBDIVISION PARK FACILITIES, WHERE THERE WAS AN OPEN SPACE NEXT TO THE PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT AND POOL. ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS WIDE OPEN SPACE WAS A PINEY WOOD AREA WHERE DANIEL’S DOG GIZMO WOULD RUN AND EXERCISE BY CHASING SQUIRRELS UP THESE HUGE PINE TREES. WE HAD BEEN ON A WEEK LONG VACATION AND WHILE WE WERE AWAY AN ADULT SOCCER TEAM HAD PLACED TWO 400-500LB HOMEMADE SOCCER GOALS IN THIS OPEN SPACE AT THE PARK. THESE GOALS WERE 8FT TALL, 24FT LONG, AND THEY ONLY HAD A 3FT BOTTOM LEG SUPPORT. THEREFORE THESE GOALS WERE VERY TOP HEAVY, A GUST OF WIND WOULD HAVE BLOWN THEM OVER. OUR NEIGHBOR CALLED OUT TO US FROM 3 HOUSES DOWN, DANIEL WALKED ON ACROSS THE STREET TO THE PARK WITH HIS DOG AND TWO OF HIS FRIENDS. MY NEIGHBOR AND I HAD ONLY BEEN TALKING ON THE STREET CORNER ABOUT 5 MINUTES WHEN GIZMO THE DOG CAME RUNNING BACK ACROSS THE STREET JUMPING UP ON ME AND WHINING TRYING TO TELL ME SOMETHING AND THEN THE OTHER TWO BOYS CAME RUNNING TELLING US "DANIEL IS HURT!" WE RAN TO FIND DANIEL LAYING ON HIS BACK WITH A HUGE PIECE OF METAL RESTING ACROSS HIS FOREHEAD, THIS WAS THE MOST HELPLESS FEELING I’VE EVER ENCOUNTERED. WE CALLED FOR HELP AND A MAN CAME AND COULD NOT LIFT THIS HEAVY GOAL FROM DANIEL, I SAW A METAL CROSSBAR AT MY REACH I HUNG MY BODYWEIGHT FROM IT AND WITH GODS INTERVENTION THE MAN WAS ABLE TO LIFT IT UP OFF OF DANIEL PUTTING IT IN A STANDING POSITION. MY FRIEND IS A NURSE, SHE BEGAN GIVING DANIEL CPR, THE HUMBLE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME AND FINALLY PARAMEDICS WITH LIFEFLIGHT HELICOPTER SERVICE CAME AND TOOK DANIEL TO HERMAN TRAUMA HOSPITAL. THE EMERGENCY ROOM WORKED ON DANIEL FOR HOURS, BUT COULD NEVER STABILIZE HIS BLOOD PRESSURE. THE GOAL WHEN IT HIT HIM CRACKED HIS SKULL BEHIND HIS EAR AND HE ACTUALLY DIED INSTANTLY. MY ONLY SON WAS WITH ME JUST MINUTES BEFORE THIS HAPPENED THEN GONE LIKE THE SWITCH OF A LIGHT. GOD’S GRACE LITERALLY CARRIES ME THROUGH EACH DAY. AND EVEN THOUGH I LIVE IN AN ABNORMAL WORLD NOW I HAVE THE HOPE AND REASSURANCE I WILL SEE DANIEL AGAIN WHEN I HAVE SERVED OUT MY MISSION HERE ON THIS EARTH. LABOR DAY SEPTEMBER 4, 1993 IS WHEN DANIEL LEFT MY SIDE AND THIS UNPREDICTABLE WORLD TO BE JOINED WITH OUR HEAVENLY FATHER AND OUR SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST AND ALL OUR LOVED ONES WHO HAVE ALSO LEFT THIS EARTH.

MY INTENTION IS  TO HELP SAVE OTHER LIVES BY TELLING THIS STORY AND GETTING THE WORD OUT ABOUT HOW WE CAN PREVENT THESE ACCIDENTS. IF YOU ARE A SOCCER COACH OR TEAM PARENT MAKE SURE THESE GOALS ARE CHAIN LOCKED TO EACH OTHER WHERE THEY CANNOT BE PUSHED OVER, MOST OF THESE ACCIDENTS HAVE HAPPENED WHILE THE GOALS ARE UNATTENDED AND IF A GAME IS GOING ON MAKE SURE THESE GOALS ALWAYS ALWAYS ARE SECURELY ANCHORED. SOMEONE WILL GET KILLED OR HURT AND IN TURN SOMEONE WILL BE LIABLE.