Last fall, a drive through the Valley’s northeast side to a Little League baseball game sparked the give-back spirit in Connor Long, then a 3rd grader at Stuckey Elementary. “He saw homeless people on the street and asked, can we do something?” said his mom, Kimberly. Recognizing the need of the local homeless community extends beyond fresh food, Kimberly directed Connor’s enthusiasm to existing local organizations that could use support.
With help from fellow baseball players and Stuckey students, brothers Toren and Teirnon Wolf, Connor partnered with Vegas Valley Baseball last November to conduct a canned food drive benefiting homeless veterans. The trio collected 4,000 cans from 21 fields, and their nonprofit organization, 108 Double Stitch, was born.
Since then, the boys have partnered with multiple organizations to serve the community. After a high school student was hit by a vehicle in Southern Highlands last spring, they partnered with Stuckey Elementary to host a bike safety rodeo. Most recently, 108 Double Stitch collected more than 750 school supplies from area Smith’s stores to benefit Project 150, a local nonprofit that aids homeless high school students.
Even while juggling a full schedule of baseball and school—Connor and Toren, both 9, just started 4th grade at Stuckey and Teirnon, 11, entered 6th grade at Tarkanian this fall—the boys meet regularly to brainstorm future projects and develop presentations for the companies and organizations they’d like to partner with. “We set up presentations on the computer, and then we each have lines to practice on notecards,” explained Teirnon. He admits the first presentation to Vegas Valley Baseball was nerve-wracking, “But now we’re used to it.”
Though the boys haven’t determined their next venture, the wheels are turning. Toren would like to do a holiday toy drive for veterans’ families in need. Connor has plans for a Valentine’s Day–timed teddy bear drive to surprise children in local hospitals.
More than anything, the founding members of 108 Double Stitch would like to see their organization expand beyond just the three of them and their families. “We would love to see it grow and have people join and help out in several activities,” said Connor.
To learn more about 108 Double Stitch and how you can get involved, visit the organization’s Facebook page.