Sports gift makes fun for all
By Stephanie Bertholdo bertholdo@theacorn.com

GIVING BACK- Sports fan Josh Bock, 12, is running a collection for Sports Gift, an organization that provides sports equipment to underprivileged children, as a bar mitzvah project. Josh plays on an Agoura Pony Baseball team, which is helping to sponsor the equipment drive.

Josh Bock wants to help kids who can't afford to play league sports and enjoy the games as much as he does.

For his bar mitzvah, Josh, 12, is collecting used sports equipment for Sports Gift. The nonprofit organization provides equipment to underprivileged children throughout the world, and promotes sportsrelated community service projects to youth in the United States.

Josh plans to hold several collection events, the first at Lupin Hill Elementary School in Calabasas on Sat. and Sun., May 3 and 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. He will man a collection bin by the school's Snack Shack.

The school is the site of many baseball games sponsored by Agoura Pony Baseball.

"I'm really into sports- basketball, baseball, soccer and football," Josh said. "I want to collect enough sports equipment to know that I did my share to help kids around the world," he said.

The bar or bat mitzvah is a coming of age tradition for Jewish boys and girls. Josh attends Temple Adat Elohim in Thousand Oaks, and said preparing for his bar mitzvah, scheduled for November, has given him the opportunity to reflect on his life and the opportunities that have been available to him growing up in Oak Park.

Such community service projects allow young men and women to show they are growing up and becoming responsible adults who are willing to "give back," he said.

Suzie Bock, Josh's mother, said her "eyes have been opened" about how her son is growing up. "I'm very proud of him," she said.

Bock added that she was thankful to Agoura Pony Baseball's Mustang League national division director Mark Smith for his willingness to accommodate her son's request to hang banners on the fences by the ball fields.

Josh also plans to collect sports equipment June 7 at the Vons market in Agoura Hills.

"You can help me by donating your gently used and new sports equipment so that we can bring the fun and experience of sports to everyone," Josh said.

For those who aren't able to drop off their sports equipment, Josh will arrange for it to be picked up.

For further information on how and what to donate, call Josh at (818) 707-1647, or e-mail him at bockgraphx@sbcglobal.net.