Andrews - Father and Son - Make Memorable Trip to South Dakota Tribe

A few months back in the Spring, I reported on local coach, Wickford Little League Dad, and Veteran Service Corp member Dave Andrews. Coach Andrews was on a quest to recruit local sports leagues, businesses, and families to donate sporting goods equipment for a special project. This project took Dave and his son, Wickford Little League District All-Star Willem, to South Dakota and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. The following is such a great story from one of Wickford Little League's best and most supportive coaches and families. Here is an account of Coach Andrew's trip to South Dakota and the volunteer work that brought he and his son Willem due west...

I just returned from South Dakota on another mission as a volunteer with Veteran Service Corps (VSC) (www.veteranservicecorps.org). As a veteran of the RI National Guard I volunteered with Veterans Stand in December of 2016. I traveled to North Dakota in February of this year to assist in building a camp in support of the Dakota Access Pipeline protestors and water protectors at the nearby Oceti Sakowin camp.

The Cheyenne River Sioux tribe of South Dakota leased the land where we built this support camp, called Four Bands. As a result, Veteran Service Corps has formed a partnership with the Cheyenne River Sioux.

Unemployment on the Cheyenne River Sioux reservation hovers around 90%, and 60% of households live under the poverty line. Average male life expectancy is 48 years old; along with Haiti, this is the lowest in the western hemisphere. There have been 50 suicides on the reservation this YEAR alone, many of them teenagers. Thus, it is vitally important that programs are created to keep youths on the reservation positively engaged. VSC and the tribe are working to create programs to accomplish this goal.

My son Willem and I collected sports equipment to donate to the Cheyenne River Sioux tribe and stayed on their reservation for a few days. While there, we helped refurbish a youth community center and help set up outbuildings for the Sundance ritual.
I am continuing to try and spread the word about how such travesties are occurring right here in the United States. Veteran Service Corps is a registered non-profit, and all donations are tax deductible. I can be reached at (c) 401-316-2238. Please do not hesitate to contact me for further information!

The donations provided by the administration, parents, and players of the Wickford Little league were GREATLY appreciated! My friend and fellow Veteran Service Corps volunteer Greg Forward is now going to try and create some sports leagues on the reservation using the equipment that was donated. I am actually still getting donations, and will continue to accept them. THANK YOU to the administration, parents, and players of the Wickford Little League!!!

Donations can be made to Veterans Service Corps at www.veteranservicecorps.org or to the Lakota People's Law Project at www.lakotalaw.org.