Sports Camp at Caraballo
Every summer, the campus of Park School in Caraballo transforms into something more than a school—it’s sports camp!
Children and youth from the community are invited to the camp—spending their afternoons learning new skills, building friendships, and discovering healthy ways to compete, all within a community that points them toward Christ.
This summer, a 22-member team from West Side Presbyterian Church in Seattle—longtime partners of KADR—served at the camp. Their mornings were spent refreshing the campus with paint, including hand-lettering our ministry’s core values on the school’s stairwell.
But every afternoon, the real noise began—laughter, cheers, the thud of soccer balls, and the sound of young voices raised in worship.
Sports camp is more than games. It’s a year-round extension of community, a place where children are known by name, mentored by caring adults, and encouraged to grow in character as much as in skill.
Visiting teams like West Side bring living examples of servant leadership. Children see older students and adults choosing to invest their time, energy, and joy into others.
One team member reflected, “Serving others for God doesn’t make it harder to get up and do it again tomorrow—it makes it easier.” Another noticed, “Worship here isn’t about how it looks—it’s pure joy, with kids singing at the top of their lungs because they depend on God.”
Those afternoons of sports and worship created space for genuine connection. Even without a shared language, small acts—a high-five, a smile, a handhold—communicated the love of Christ. Camp also became a bridge across deep divides, as Dominican and Haitian children played on the same teams, worked toward common goals, and learned to cheer each other on.
One West Side student summed it up well: “If we have everything but God, we are lost. If we only have God, we can find joy and abundance in life.”
For over 20 years, West Side Presbyterian has stood with Kids Alive DR in creating opportunities like this. And every summer, sports camp continues to be a place where children are safe, valued, and inspired to grow—in skill, in community, and in their walk with God.
