
Tony Sanneh smiles when he mentions that he is “a big fan” of slime. So big, in fact, that when the retired professional soccer player and founder of the nonprofit that bears his name — the Tony Sanneh Foundation — recently went shopping for holiday gifts for children in need, he loaded up on little cylindrical barrels holding the brightly colored goo.
“Kids love slime. It’s just fun!” Sanneh said.
In addition to slime, and, of course, soccer balls, the Tony Sanneh Foundation had hundreds of donated gifts for children in the community at its annual holiday giveaway event. Toys, games, books, art supplies, sport equipment, backpacks and clothing were laid out on tables at the organization’s headquarters in St Paul. There were plenty of old school favorites, like Candyland and Lego building sets along with this year’s trendy gifts like SquishMallows.
Some 500 families were invited to walk through so that parents could “shop” and select holiday gifts to surprise and delight the boys and girls on their lists, from babies to teens.
Since it was founded in 2003, the Sanneh Foundation has expanded to touch more than 100,000 individuals a year, through its in-school and after school programs, weekly distribution of healthy food and meals, housing support and youth summer camps.
“Our passion is youth development. We respond to community needs and we are a positive connection point between people with resources and families who need resources,” Sanneh explained. “We create hope and opportunity.”
Year-round, the Sanneh Foundation relies on its staff and its committed volunteers, both individuals from the community and from businesses. Delta Dental identified the Sanneh Foundation as a corporate partner and members of its team regularly volunteers in supporting activities and outreach with youth.
“Our goal is to serve the underserved, especially as as it relates to oral health and its ties to overall health. The Sanneh Foundation helps us really give back to communities we serve and live in,” said Kathie Eiland-Madison, Delta Dental’s Chief Engagement and Inclusion Officer. “We know all about smiles and it’s good to see so many here today.”
Eiland-Madison and her team spent the afternoon at the Sanneh Foundation headquarters at the Conway Recreation Center in St Paul, greeting and escorting families as they chose just the right toys for their kids. She guided a dad living in transitional housing to a table with gifts for teens and helped him select a curling iron, a drawing kit and the game Twister, “to get those babies off the couch.”
She moved on to accompany two high school students who were looking for gifts to give to their two-year-old sister and little cousin.
“They took a baby doll that their sister will love and they picked some good picture books that they can read to both of them,” Eiland-Madison said. “It’s great they see how important reading is.”
As for Tony Sanneh, he finds that the holidays are a special time to share the foundation’s year-round mission.
“This is a time when families can come together and kids can be kids. We want to make sure they can truly celebrate. All moms and dads want their kids to have opportunities,” he said. “It’s okay to ask for help and get support.”