4 Days Until @HoopsAfrica @FairfieldU - a @CwpFairfield & @Hoops4HopeUSA Story

A part of me is very excited that I coincidentally scheduled this week's Hoops Africa screening for the Saugatuck StoryFest kick-off during a time that coincided perfectly with Fairfield University's Fall break. It has given me a couple of extra days to piece together the agendas, the events, and the celebration. I've also been able to find time to grade, to plan, and to get everything I need in order (including a clean home)

Around campus, Hoops Africa has been advertised on screens, lawn signs, and with posters. There's also a banner hanging in downtown Fairfield. We've launched the collaboration with the Saugatuck StoryFest, and pushed it out via National Day of Writing tweets, #WhyIWrite, as another means to get the message out there.

Las night, I began working on my 5 minutes of talking that will begin the celebration on Thursday night. The message is UBUNTU, and it's almost impossible to articulate all I have to say in 5 minutes, especially when I want everyone to realize that it is the community of togetherness that makes everything possible: Saugatuck StoryFest, Fairfield University Athletics, Hoops4Hope, the teachers and youth of CWP-Fairfield, my colleagues, the Quick Center, Basketball Power of Lithuania, and of course all the writers that we're celebrating this week.

One writer, who was behind the scenes for what was composed, is Taylor Sharp, who will be with us at the event this Thursday. As the producer of the film, and a firm believer in Ubuntu, he will add incredible perspective to the work we're doing. Of course, all of this is made central because of my cousin's lifelong passion for Hoops4Hope - and his international vision to use sports as a vehicle for youth advocacy.

I'm waking up this morning motivated for all the work still needing to be done, knowing that all the guests begin arriving this week. It came fast, but somehow I knew it would.

Here's to everyone making this possible.