We’re still digging out from the most recent dump of snow up here in the Pacific Northwest.

It’s made for some great sledding with my son, Justice.

If you are looking for a good gift for a child, consider Green LA Girl’s suggestions. She was kind enough to suggest a Fair Trade soccer ball on her post ”Holidays: What a green kid wants”.

Along with Divine Chocolate, Equal Exchange, Fair Trade Sports was recently listed on the ILRF’s Holiday Gift Tips list for ethical holiday shoppers (ILRF is the International Labor Rights Fund).

What an honor to sit next to high-quality organizations such as Nueva Vida Clothing, Odegard Carpets, and more.

See ILRF’s full list for all your holiday shopping needs.

As I mentioned earlier, I love seeing the next generation of business leaders focusing their brains and energy on solving societal issues. Historically, pursuing social justice and being an entrepreneur have been kept separate. Here’s another great example of what happens when they intersect.

Guy Kawasaki, the original software evangelist, recently spoke to the students and guests at Thunderbird - a great graduate program with an international focus (one of my interns went there - super bright fellow). As part of the program, he spoke to a group of 16 women entrepreneurs from Afghanistan.

Here’s an excerpt from his recent comic blog:

As you can see in the comic, their gift to him was soccer ball. Hooray for the great work of entrepreneurs from around the world, working to make their communities better!

Want a Fair Trade soccer ball of your own? You don’t have to be Guy Kawasaki to get one, order yours here!

The “Raise Money Right” contests from Catholic Relief Services have begun! Prizes include trips to Ghana, equipment from Fair Trade Sports, Fair Trade chocolate from Divine, and Fair Trade coffee from Peace Coffee for a year.

Jackie DeCarlo and her team at CRS are using the “Raise Money Right” contests to help schools and parishes raise money and bring Fair Trade into their classrooms. We’re excited to take part by providing prizes for the winners.

Well done, Jackie and crew!

We’ve been asked how we can provide a competitive product to you at the same time as we provide a living wage to the folks hand-stitching these high quality sports balls.

Quite simply, we market direct to consumers, relying primarily on Internet sales for distribution and positive word-of-mouth for advertising. By not paying huge sums of money for advertising, we’re able to give you a great product at a great price, while still paying Fair Trade wages to our stitchers.

Help us spread the word and make a difference with your purchasing power. Buy a ball or tee shirt today, and receive a free set of cards that transform you into an Ambassador of Respect!

Or order the cards by themselves; they are free and there is no charge for shipping. Put a few in your wallet to keep them ready to hand out to people you think might be interested in Fair Trade products.

We just got confirmation that our Fair Trade sports ball inventory is arriving next week, just in time for your holiday shopping!

Please consider giving a present with a purpose this year.