A pair of moms are working together to help make a dream come true for a local teenager trying to get to the Western Canada Summer Games.

Elijah Pastoor, a 15-year-old NCI student, is one of 18 players selected to represent Team Manitoba at the Games, which take place August 9–18 in Swift Current, Saskatchewan. Elijah has been playing soccer since he was four years old. He previously played for the Niverville Soccer Club before joining the Niverville Rush for the past three seasons. He has also played on NCI’s school team.

A highlight of his young career was winning gold at the Manitoba Games in 2016, when he played with the Eastman regional team.

Dedicated to honing his craft, Elijah often spends hours in Hespeler Park by himself or with teammates training.

“You will often find him on his own or with friends at Hespeler Park just practicing on their own,” says his mother Michelle Pastoor. “Part of their training was playing high-level teams. The team travelled to Vancouver and Seattle just last week to play a couple games out there. They won’t be doing their regular weekly sessions, as all the boys do play on their own teams, but they will have some training camps over the next couple of months leading up to the Games.”

Tryouts for Team Manitoba took place in November and December. The players were whittled down over three weeks until the final training squad was selected. In the end, 22 players were selected, but after further training throughout the winter only 18 have been chosen to attend the Games.

“Before I got the phone call telling me if I did or didn’t make the team, I had to wait around a week,” says Elijah. “That was a very stressful week, to say the least. Once I got the call, I felt pretty amazing. It was cool to accomplish something I worked towards for three years.”

Now that he has been selected, the family is working hard to gather the funds that will allow him to go. Michelle, a single mother of five, works tirelessly to support her kids and give them the ability to pursue their dreams and take advantage of opportunities such as this one.

Luckily, another local mom has recognized Michelle’s dedication to her kids, as well as Elijah’s passion for the sport, and has decided to step in to help them raise the money.

“I am so very proud of Elijah’s dedication to sports and the drive he has,” says Sue Thompson, whose son also tried out for the Games. “When they mentioned that the trip would cost $3,000-plus, Michelle had said, ‘I will do what I can to pay for this if he makes it.’ She will not say no if an opportunity arises for her kids, no matter the cost.”

The Fundraiser

Thompson, along with her husband Jason, have planned an evening dinner fundraiser at Lucky Luc’s in St. Pierre-Jolys on May 25. Tickets will cost $25, and Thompson says they hope to sell all 170 seats. The Bud, Spud, and Chicken Cordon Bleu will help cover the cost of the trip.

As a single mom, Pastoor will be taking her other children with her, which adds to the cost. With tickets to the actual event costing more than $400, the expenses are likely to grow further once accommodations are included. The recent trip for exhibition play in Vancouver already required $1,000.

Looking at the cost alone, planning a fundraiser to support the family was a no-brainer for Thompson.

“Michelle and Elijah are beyond grateful for this and are looking forward to a fun evening,” Thompson says. “We are accepting donations as well if someone can’t come to the dinner. Just yesterday, a family friend gave $200.”

Michelle has great pride in what her son has been able to accomplish and is willing to do whatever it takes to help him experience his dream of representing his home province.

“We are so very grateful for all the love and encouragement he has received,” Michelle says. “It means so much to know there are so many people behind him and supporting him. The Western Canada Summer Games will be such an incredible experience for him. And of course he has a passion for soccer like no one else I know. When he sets his mind on something, he works hard to make it happen. [I’m] so very proud of him!”