DALTON, Ga. — Walker Creswell says he plays a video of a soccer team at God’s Hope Primary School in Uganda receiving 32 pairs of cleats and 15 uniforms “over and over.”

The coach “fall(s) to his knees in tears,” said Creswell, a Dalton native and a senior at the University of Georgia.

“It was the purest, most joyful moment I ever experienced,” Creswell said.

Creswell, a 2015 graduate of Northwest Whitfield High School, spent a week during spring break in March helping Mason Satterfield, another Northwest Whitfield graduate. Satterfield is director of programs for Simone’s Kids, a nonprofit that operates God’s Hope in Nakaseke, a town in Uganda. Satterfield is a 2010 graduate of Northwest Whitfield and has been in Uganda for three years.

“If someone told me as a freshman I’d spend my last college spring break in Africa, on a missions trip, waking up sweaty every morning, I would’ve never believed it,” Creswell said.

Creswell said he wanted to make the most of his time in Uganda so he asked Satterfield what he could bring the students. Satterfield told him they love soccer and American candy and needed soccer cleats because many played barefoot. Creswell began a cleat donation drive, soliciting help from his church, Varnell United Methodist, and others in the community. Many donated old cleats, and others gave him money to purchase new cleats.

Ryan Scoggins, Northwest Whitfield’s boys soccer coach, donated 15 uniforms, and Creswell collected 1,400 pieces of candy with help from teachers at Varnell Elementary where his mother teaches.

Creswell had originally planned to visit a hospital in Africa through CURE International, a Christian health care network that operates charitable hospitals and programs in 26 countries, with some fellow UGA students. He began saving for that trip last year, even getting a summer job, but it fell through.

“Too many people backed out,” he said. “I was really frustrated and didn’t know what to do.”

Creswell called Satterfield and asked if he could visit during spring break.

Satterfield called Creswell’s trip “beneficial to (the) students.”

“They felt the love, not just from Walker, but everyone who helped make this trip possible,” he said.

Satterfield said visitors have a lasting impact on the students, no matter the length of the trip.

“In the community of Nakaseke, brokenness and poverty is everywhere,” he said.

Creswell said visiting the school was an “amazing experience.” A biology major, he led a dissection of a rat and taught high school students about enzymes.

Scoggins said Creswell has always been an “amazing young man” and he was happy to help.

“I showed my team the video of the coach’s reaction so they could get a little perspective on the impact,” he said.

Scoggins said some of his players sometimes feel like they don’t have much, but the video showed them they can make a difference.

“This was a great lesson for myself and the team,” he said. “I appreciate Walker including us in his project.”

Scoggins said Creswell has a big heart and often thinks of others.

“He comes from a tremendous family where Christ is the center,” he said.

Creswell said it’s a trip he won’t forget.

“God moved in my life and I felt called to go there,” he said. “For that, I’m thankful.”

For more information on God’s Hope Primary School and Simone’s Kids, visit www.simoneskids.org.