Buckley teen to build relationships, sport court in Panama

Hannah Weymiller, 14, recently received a $1,000 scholarship for the trip.

Hannah Weymiller will spend part of her summer vacation, 3,600 miles removed from her Buckley home, volunteering on a project aimed at bringing joy to kids in Central America.

The 14-year-old Weymiller and a handful of her Bellarmine Preparatory School classmates have joined forces with Courts For Kids. They will spend 10 days in Panama building a sports court in an underprivileged community.

Her trip carries a $2,200 price tag and Weymiller received nearly half her goal in the form of a scholarship from Prime Ops 911 Security. The company provides scholarship money for teens doing good deeds. She received her award during a ceremony on Jan. 12.

“I will be traveling to and living in a small community about 4 ½ hours outside of Panama City,” Weymiller explained in her application letter. “Together with my group, I will be working on a project to build a sports court for this community. This sports court will provide not only a safe place for children to play but also other benefits, like becoming a community meeting and gathering place for villagers.”

The sports angle fits with one of Weymiller’s passions. The Bellarmine Prep freshman plays club volleyball, intends to play through high school, and hopes to compete collegiately. But she’s plenty busy away from athletics, often performing community service. She was one of the top five recipients of the Service Above Self Award while attending eighth grade at North Tapps Middle School and has volunteered at a local veterinary clinic, helped deliver to the Sumner Food Bank and assisted with the Enumclaw Special Olympics swim team.

Courts For Kids in a nonprofit organization based in Vancouver, Washington. The CFK website notes that 162 courts have been built in 28 partner countries with the help of 3,200 U.S. participants.

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