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Let's get 550lbs of school supplies to Belize!

grayson thomas edds Start Date: May 6, 2025 - End Date: Jul 14, 2025
  • Placencia, Belize

My Travel Story

by: grayson thomas edds Start Date: May 6, 2025 - End Date: Jul 14, 2025
To teach our kids the value of charity, we're taking HUNDREDS of pounds of school supplies to Belize school kids this summer, and we need your help! 

Why Are We Going To Belize?

Unlike the U.S., they don't have Walmarts on every corner with cheap school supplies by the dozen; instead, the few that are offered at the local markets are expensive and hard to come by (think: low supply and high demand), often leaving families to compete or share what they do obtain. Uniforms are required, creating additional costs for parents. They also aren't guaranteed a high school education as defined by American standards. According to the Belize Ministry website, "Education is compulsory for children 5-14 years of age. Government and government-aided primary and secondary schools are tuition fee-free; however, they are allowed to charge special fees with the approval of the Chief Education Officer." 

I believe the families have a better chance of saving for secondary school program fees and uniforms (and thereby staying in school longer) simply by being provided what seems basic and simple to most American school kids: crayons to capture the imaginations of young thinkers, markers to embolden their ideas, colored paper to fold into beautiful geometric shapes and animals, map pencils to explore the world and design “the next big thing” in fashion or architecture, rulers and protractors to aide in finding just the right angle for the house they may build for their families one day.

Who We Are

Let me introduce myself a bit. I’m Gray. Several years ago, I went to the Valley of Peace in Belize with a mission group to build bookshelves and teach English as a Second Language to girls 7-14. It was a way for me to heal and connect with the wider world precisely when it was most needed. I went down there to disconnect from the constraints of America—and found myself in the thick of the jungle at a schoolyard that consisted of two long, narrow buildings without glass in the windows, only wooden shutters to keep out or let in the wind, with a fan or two in each room that housed a dozen or so desks and chairs. Between the two buildings was a small toddler playground, a small concrete pad for playing anything from jump rope to four square, and a grassy patch to play futbol. I was sweaty, bitten by no-see-ums, laughing the days away in a tanktop and shorts (so hot!) with kids dressed in their Sunday best for summer school, each overjoyed to be there (for summer school? American kids would never!) and happy to learn and help each other (absolutely breathtaking souls, each of them). At night, I'd retreat to our lodge, have a cold Belikin beer, listen to monkeys call at dusk (fearing they’d get closer), and watch the rainbow of parrots fly overhead. In seven days, I fell deeply in love with another country. 

It became a personal goal to get my own children there to see for themselves the joy in the faces of kids who've led vastly different lives than our own (long commutes to school on foot, by boat, or bus, no X-box/Playstation, few phones, no available wi-fi, little spending money, no air conditioning), to learn that the purpose in life is NOT to indulge in debt and maximalism, but to appreciate what God provides, from nature to necessities, to look out for their fellow man, to open their hearts to allow experiences in that will change the landscape of their future.

Last year, Steve and I hooked up with a small charity taking school supplies to Belize, so on a whim, we joined them and delivered 100 pounds of school supplies.

What's In Store For Summer 2025

This year, we’re combining our dream of taking our loved ones with us to Belize with the mission to deliver up to UPDATE: 550 pounds of school supplies to be dispersed among several schools in the country. 

Steve and I are bringing four kids, ages 9-22, and my lifelong friend Morgan has a set of twins, age 11. PLUS, we gained another TWO VOLUNTEERS! That’s now ELEVEN of us total, each with up to 50 pounds of school supplies in tow. We've arranged a cultural exchange with a local school while we're there so our kids can learn about and honor their culture and history. 

Please enjoy the video, created by Canyon Edds, 16, who aspires to attend college for radio, television and film. If you can afford to donate to our cause, we'd love to show our kids that opening our hearts (and theirs) to charity will inspire others, hence the fundraiser. Our tickets are purchased, and our lodging is booked, so we're coming to you to help us teach our kids that they can make a BIG difference in this world by reaching out to their loved ones with an exciting project that we hope creates a core memory and a lifetime of giving. 

To Belize, With Love

Gray & The Bookbag Santa Group of Texas
  • Placencia, Belize

Updates

7

  • School Visit Date Set!

    School Visit Date Set!
    Our host school has put our visit on the calendar! We're so excited and honored to mix, mingle, and learn!

  • Another Video!

    Another Video!
    iMovie made it easy to make this fun video for our trip. You can catch it above or on Facebook!

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