Last month, a tragedy took place in Newtown, Connecticut, where 26 people were killed, 20 of them children, in a shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. The grieving in Newtown continues, but many people are trying to help the victim’s families as well as residents of Newtown.
In January, Major League Soccer took part in “Soccer Night in Newtown.” This was meant to be a temporary break from the heartache and, as MLS Commissioner Don Garber said, “It wasn’t really done for the press. It was done for the families.”
According to the MLS, nearly 1,500 residents of Newtown showed up for the event, where more than 40 MLS players showed up to help. Players included Landon Donovan and Dwayne De Rosario, and former U.S. players Alexi Lalas, Mia Hamm and Cobi Jones.
Once people got in there was plenty to do.
“And for those you got in – all Newtown residents, including many children who attend Sandy Hook Elementary – there were plenty of options once they got in, from pick-up games with De Rosario and New York Red Bulls star Kenny Cooper to chatting with US women’s team captain Christie Rampone,” according to MLS.
I realize we normally post about soccer charities on this site and this is not a soccer charity. However, this is a great example of how soccer can make a difference in the lives of people and provide a temporary distraction from the heartache surrounding Newtown following the horrific tragedy that occurred.
Written By: Eric Stoyanov, Contributing Writer, soccerprose.com
It’s been a while since we updated this site with great charity work going on around the world through soccer. However, there is a great charity, Charity Ball, which continues to do wonderful work throughout the world.
“Charity Ball is a soccer charity that provides, new, quality soccer balls to kids in poverty-stricken communities around the world,” according to Charity Ball.
Like other charities, Charity Ball believes that soccer helps communities dealing with poverty have an escape and also develop life skills such as communication, friendship and fair play.
It may surprise some people, but Ethan King founded this wonderful charity when he was only 10-years-old in 2010. King came up with the idea when he visited Northern Mozambique and gave his soccer ball away after playing with kids in the village. Now Charity Ball continues to help these types of communities.
“When you donate $25, a new, quality soccer ball is purchased for a child. Based on basic criteria, affiliate organizations help us identify needy villages. When communities are approved, partner organizations help us with shipping and transportation,” according to Charity Ball.
Beginning in January, a person affiliated with Charity Ball will travel to 10 different countries around the world and they are hoping to provide 50 soccer balls to each country. The ten countries are Japan, China, Vietnam, Singapore, Burma, India, Mauritius, South Africa, Ghana and Morocco. SoccerPro helped provide some of the soccer balls to make this possible. You can learn more about the charity and become involved by visiting Charity Ball’s website here.
Written By: Eric Stoyanov, Contributing Writer, soccerprose.com
When you are watching Messi and the other players wearing Barcelona jerseys in La Liga, you may notice under their numbers is UNICEF (The United Nations Children’s Fund). Some people watching may not think anything of it, however UNICEF is an extremely helpful organization that helps children around the world.
“The United Nations Children’s Fund works in 190 countries and territories to save and improve children’s lives by providing health care and immunizations, clean water and sanitation, nutrition, education, emergency relief and more,” according to UNICEF.
When you donate to UNICEF, you can be sure your money is being used wisely. UNICEF says, “The U.S. Fund for UNICEF spends 90.5 cents of every dollar we receive on programs that help children.”
UNICEF hopes to lower the number of children dying from preventable diseases until they ultimately reach their goal of zero deaths from preventable causes. Earlier, we mentioned Barcelona’s jerseys featuring the UNICEF logo. Barcelona and UNICEF have been partners since 2006. The club has contributed 1.5 million euros per year to help children through UNICEF’s efforts.
“Over the last 50 years, UNICEF and its humanitarian relief partners have helped reduce the worldwide child mortality rate by more than one-half,” according to UNICEF.
There are many ways to help UNICEF achieve their goal. You can get involved through volunteering or by making a tax-deductible donation to help children. Your donation will go towards “lifesaving vaccines and insecticide-treated bed nets, emergency relief following natural disasters, educational opportunities and School-in-a-Box kits, and much more.” With the holiday season here, it is a great time to donate and help someone who is not as fortunate. A small donation can make a huge difference in the lives of these children.
Written By: Eric Stoyanov, Contributing Writer, soccerprose.com
Christmas time is fast approaching and Christmas is a time for giving. Since SoccerGrow is a soccer related site, the charities we want to focus on deal with improving the world through soccer. The charity we want to focus on today is Kick4Life.
“Kick4Life uses the power of sport to transform the lives of some of the most disadvantaged young people in the world,” according to their site.
Kick4Life was founded in 2005 and is based in Lesotho in southern Africa. Kick4Life’s Football for Hope Centre delivers “health education and HIV prevention, voluntary HIV testing, life-skills development, mentoring, support towards education and employment, and the chance to enjoy sport.”
In Lesotho, HIV is a major issue. Lesotho has the third highest HIV prevalence in the world and many children are orphaned because of the disease. The work of Kick4Life is based on HIV prevention and testing, care and support for vulnerable groups and social enterprise.
The first part of their program, HIV prevention and testing, provides health education to children ages 12 to 18. The program educates youth about how to avoid HIV infection, diminishes the stigma and discrimination surrounding HIV, and empowers youth with critical life-skills.
The second part of the program is care and support for vulnerable groups. This program is “focused on children living on the street, double orphans, young people living with HIV and vulnerable women including sex workers and teenage workers.”
The final part of the program is social enterprise, which “is about empowering our participants with the skills, confidence and opportunities to achieve sustainable livelihoods for themselves and their families, as well as building the long-term financial sustainability of the organization.”
There are many ways to get involved and help Kick4Life. One of the ways is donating money that helps support and help children. You can learn more about what your donation can do and where to donate by clicking here.
Written By: Eric Stoyanov, Contributing Writer, soccerprose.com
One of the goals of SoccerGrow is to make people aware of how soccer can make a positive impact in the world. One of the best examples of how soccer can inspire positive change in the world is the Homeless World Cup.
The Homeless World Cup began in 2003 when the first tournament was held in Graz, Austria. Mel Young and Harald Schmied came up with the idea of helping homeless people when they attended a conference on homelessness in Cape Town in 2001.
The Homeless World Cup “supports grass-roots football programs and social enterprise development via a network of 73 National Partners and celebrates its work by organizing an annual football tournament that unites teams of homeless people from countries all around the globe,” according to their website. “Under the guidance of the Homeless World Cup, our National Partners provide, or provide access to, the professional services homeless people need: educational, employment, health or legal advice.”
The most recent Homeless World Cup took place in Mexico City this year and lasted from Oct. 6 to Oct. 14. This was the tenth Homeless World Cup. Chile took first place beating Mexico 8-5 in the final. Brazil took third place beating Indonesia 6-2 in the third place match.
There are many ways to get involved and support the Homeless World Cup. You can start a fundraiser, put up flyers and posters, or make a donation. A little help can make a huge difference. The Homeless World Cup shows what a major impact soccer can have on the world. You can visit their website to learn more about the program or to read personal stories by clicking here.
Written By: Eric Stoyanov, Contributing Writer, soccerprose.com
