(Toledo News Now) - Based on Toledo's 2012 census, the poverty rate here is 18 percent, well above the national average. That's why four college friends, all soccer players from the Midwest, are kicking off on the longest dribble drill you can imagine on Monday to help alleviate the burden of poverty in Toledo.
Jake Essig and Isaac Beal of Huntington University, Derek Garde of the University of Cincinnati and Nick Streibick of Asbury University will dribble a soccer ball from Monroe, Ohio, to Toledo, Ohio, to raise money for a local not-for-profit LifeLine Toledo.
They are dribbling to raise $10,000 for LifeLine Toledo's mobile medical unit. It's a bus that provides medical check-ups and basic healthcare needs on a weekly basis for the uninsured and under insured in the Glass City.
The bus is in major need of repairs and upgrades to keep up with the demand of their services. So to help, they will dribble one soccer ball between the four of them for 250 miles along U.S. 127 starting May 20. They will have to dribble between 15 and 20 miles a day to make it to Toledo by June 15. They're camping in towns along with way and have a couple churches lined up that will let them stay on their property and use their showers.
So far, Dribble 4 Toledo has raised $5,000. You can buy a Dribble 4 Toledo shirt for $10, and all the money goes straight to LifeLine Toledo. If you're interested in buying one to help the cause, simply message them your size, color and quantity on their Facebook page, Dribble4Toledo. You can also donate directly to LifeLine Toledo on their website LifeLineToledo.com.
Once the crew starts dribbling on Monday, you can follow their progress on Facebook (Dribble4Toledo) and Twitter (@Dribble4Toledo). They'll be posting and tweeting along the way. You can also still order t-shirts and tank tops while they're dribbling, and they'll be shipped to you from their families in Monroe, Ohio. And the guys said if you want to join up and dribble with them for a bit, they'd love to meet you along the way.
