Fútbol and a shopping spree

“With privilege comes great responsibility.” That was Mike Mitchell, who was in Chico last week from his home base of Santa Cruz, and dropped by the CN&R office to offer an update on his nonprofit, Project Play Soccer.

Part of Mitchell’s philanthropic thesis, which he actually wrote while studying for his master’s at Chico State in 1990, was that if he could get soccer balls to the kids in Niger—where he’d served in the Peace Corps years prior—that struggling nation could eventually compete on a world-class level.

After launching Project Play Soccer (originally Project Play) in 2011 and getting a $500,000 infusion two years later from the One World Play Project, creator of the indestructible soccer ball, he’s seeing his thesis pan out. In 2015 and again last year, Niger qualified for the Under-17 World Cup.

“That means some of those kids grew up playing with our balls,” Mitchell said, smiling. How cool is that? People like Mitchell, who runs Body and Soul Adventures in the Santa Cruz mountains as a way to raise money for his nonprofit, inspire me to want to do more. I haven’t written my thesis quite yet, but I feel it brewing.

For more on Project Play Soccer, visit projectplaysoccer.org or check out Body and Soul Adventures at bodysouladventures.com.

Wardrobe upgrade Last Friday marked the official opening of Lulus’ new downtown shop, The Outlet, and a couple of co-workers and I stepped out for an afternoon break to check it out. The concept is insanely simple: Pieces returned to the online clothier or deemed unfit to ship—usually due to flaws you or I would never find—are sorted into loose categories by size, dumped in bins and sold for $15 a pop. (Formal dresses are $20.)

That first day, the store was fairly busy, with a steady stream of women pulling colorful dresses and jumpsuits out of various bins and trying them on in the fitting rooms. I selected an assortment of dresses, as my wardrobe is in serious need of an upgrade, and though all were pretty cute, I settled on a Bohemian-flavored maroon one that I’m itching to wear.

There are no returns and the store does require a certain amount of patience and persistence, as the bins can quickly feel overwhelming. But what a fun way to find new additions to your closet! Added bonus: The styles vary wildly, so you can go in with a friend with virtually zero fear of walking out with the same outfit.

Check out The Outlet at 232 Broadway St. downtown, Friday-Saturday 10 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

Another closure I recently purchased some art that needed some cheap but decent-looking frames. So, I headed over to Aaron Brothers Art & Framing on Forest Avenue because I’d seen sale signs out front. Turns out the place is closing down, merging with Michaels. Everything is on sale, from frames to art supplies to the fixtures they’re displayed on. Potential last day is Saturday (June 30).