Crusaders for Life kickball tournament aids Boys Town

By Thomas “T.J.” Burgess, Contributing writer

The Brother Martin Crusaders for Life and Justice Team hosted the second annual “In Their Shoes” kickball tournament March 21 to raise money for organizations that, through service and compassion, help the community.

Participants attempt to put themselves in the “shoes” of the marginalized and search for ways we can better help and support them.

This year, more than $2,000 was raised to help  Boys Town Louisiana, an organization dedicated to helping adolescent boys and girls. Boys Town believes that “every child deserves a future, every family deserves to stay together and every community deserves to thrive.”

Last year, Woman’s New Life Center, a local women’s health-care center, was chosen as a recipient.

Nearly 200 students from Archbishop Chapelle, De La Salle, Mount Carmel, Ursuline, Archbishop Shaw and Brother Martin  participated, sharing the belief that all people are deserving of love, equality and happiness. Being pro-life is being pro-human.

Because this event is for the betterment of human life, we invite local vendors that help foster life in Louisiana. Along with Delzora Barnett from Boys Town Louisiana, we had Alex Seghers, director of education of Louisiana Right to Life, a pro-life nonprofit that works through education, legislation, service and activism to protect the right to life in Louisiana.

We also invited PULSE, the youth initiative of Louisiana Right to Life, which inspires pro-life high school and college students in Louisiana to be agents of change. PULSE holds weekend conferences, local club leadership teams and a week-long leadership training institute that educate students about abortion and other life-ending issues affecting all ages. For details, visit ProLifePulseLA.com.

Crusaders for Life and Justice moderators Joshua Thomas, Francisco Gonzales and Matthew Stevens worked with club co-presidents T.J. Burgess and Patrick Corcoran to make the event successful. Other students who were instrumental were Jacob Potter, Brad Corcoran, Ryan O’Connor  and Vincent Giovingo.

If your school would like to participate in next year’s event, contact Brother Martin to learn how!

Thomas “T.J.” Burgess is a senior at Brother Martin High School in New Orleans.