Mr. Raymond Guishard
A United States national, who was helped through college on a football scholarship, has grown so much to like the sport and the opportunities it provided him, that he is now helping others – including young Anguillian footballers.
He is Mr Cam Cameron of Detroit, Michigan, who donated 20 pairs of cleats (boots), valued at US $2,000, to the Anguilla Football Association for distribution to the youngsters. He made the presentation to Mr Raymond Guishard, President of the Association, on Sunday, February 2, in the Conference Room of the Football Stadium at the Webster Park Annex. Mr Cameron, accompanied by his wife, spent a week on the island. Their stay was facilitated by his brother-in-law who resides in Anguilla.
In thanking Mr Cameron for the gifts, Mr Guishard said the colourful cleats were highly appreciated and would be of much value to the footballers. He indicated that the Football Association was in need of various supplies and would readily accept donations of every kind towards the development of youngsters playing football.
“I am originally from Detroit, Michigan, where I was born and raised. I am the youngest of seven children and I grew up loving football and played it throughout my life,” Mr Cameron told The Anguillian in an interview. “I also fell in love with the opportunities that football provided me including getting into the University of Michigan on a scholarship to play for them – and a lot of other opportunities for my life.”
He continued: “I started my company with football boots because I saw a lot of my close personal friends not being able to play, and receive the same opportunities I had, because of cost prevention and not being able to have good quality boots to play [costing US$300.00]. I wanted to create that 300-hundred dollar pair of boots and offer it for a fraction of the price so that everybody can have that opportunity to have those high-quality boots.”
Mr Cameron, whose company is called “Just Play Soccer Cleats”, is delighted to have extended that opportunity and kindness to Anguillian youth. He added: “The reasoning behind the name is that my cleats are unbranded and do not have the logo of the company because the goal is to just play, and for a player to be his own brand rather than a kind of billboard of another company. The boots are just for them to play and enjoy the passion of football.”
Mr Cameron was grateful to Customs for allowing the free entry of the cleats through the port of arrival having understood that the supplies were gifts. He was also grateful to The Anguillian for directing him to the Football Association when he inquired by email about the appropriate organisation for his gift items.
