A Vernon woman is sharing the story of a six-month journey to Panama to provide soccer equipment to underserved communities in the documentary The Goal of Kindness.
Shelley Zupp and Melissa Jacobs produced the 60-minute documentary, which will be screened at Salmar Cinemas in Salmon Arm on Saturday at 4 p.m. as a fundraiser.
Zupp drove through Mexico and Central America in 2022 to deliver donated soccer gear. Before the trip, she had been sending soccer kits around the world with travellers headed to underserved communities.
“Because of COVID-19, nobody was travelling.” she said. “So I decided to do the six-month journey on my own and deliver the 1,800 jerseys myself.”
Zupp said the journey combined three of her passions: soccer, children and travel.
She said soccer can provide entertainment for children and youth as well as an opportunity to be part of a team. She said participating in the sport can also give children confidence and joy.
Zupp had originally planned to visit 25 locations but ultimately went to 41.
“It was those impromptu deliveries that really touched my heart.”
She recalled an unexpected stop in Honduras. Zupp did not have a contact there and had planned only to drive through the country.
“I met a server in Mazatland who knew a teacher in Honduras,” she said. “So through that contact, I managed to get to this school in Honduras.”
“I went four hours out of my way to get to this school and I was the first person to have ever visited that school or ever provided any kind of support.”
Zupp became emotional as she described the effect the donations had on the community.
“It brought me to tears because the teachers and the parents and the students were just so grateful.”
She said that despite moments that tested her resilience and determination, support from others helped her along the way.
“Honestly, the people I met were so kind and lovely,” she said. “I never once felt in any danger at all.”
She said, however, that multiple border crossings and difficult road conditions were stressful.
Zupp said producing the documentary took a couple of years because she and Jacobs both work full time. The 60-minute documentary took longer to complete than the drive to Panama.
She said she hopes the film inspires viewers to show more kindness in their communities.
The Goal of Kindness will be screened at Salmar Cinemas on Saturday, Aug. 22, at 4 p.m. Tickets are $10. Proceeds will support Zupp’s efforts to donate and ship more soccer gear around the world and Jacobs’s charitable organization, Inspire Kindness Productions.
Tickets are available on Eventbrite or at the door, and the documentary’s trailer is available on Zupp’s website.
