AGAITAS – Love, Truth, and Sports
In 2012, AGAITAS (Ah-gah-tas) was formed and hosted its first free soccer camp for 37 kids in Kosciusko County. Almost 8 years later, AGAITAS has expanded to include baseball, basketball, and golf camps, having served almost 4,000 children.
Ryan, Neena, and their sons Mydin and Jonah
The AGAITAS name combines the words
Agape – the Greek word for love, and Veritas, the Latin word for truth. The AGAITAS mission is:
1) to reach out to families who might not be able to afford summer sports camps,
2) to include kids from all social statuses, backgrounds and nationalities, and
3) to impact the community for Christ.
Ryan Burgher, Director of AGAITAS, and his family (wife Neena and sons Mydin and Jonah) work together with the help of many community volunteers to make sure camps are a success. Volunteers assist in food preparation, packing and unloading supplies, coaching, and mentoring. “We know that sports have the ability to bring people together but more than that, we hope and pray that through our camps, people can experience and learn about the goodness of Jesus. Another hope of ours is to empower the youth in our community to be lights for others and to show kindness,” said Burgher.
As a local nonprofit organization, AGAITAS has been a popular grantee for numerous donors who have Donor Advised Funds at the Community Foundation. Donor Advised Funds allow donors to recommend grants to organizations that align with their values and philanthropic goals.
Grants and community support allows AGAITAS to provide multiple camps and camper meals free of charge to local youth. In addition, the support they receive has helped AGAITAS grow over the years to now include pop-up camps in lower income and rural neighborhoods where children may be unable to find transportation to camps.