Soccer Without Borders Oakland Refugee Community Soccer Camp to be recipients of "SSV Kidzone" seats for the Night of Champions doubleheader on August 8th at Candlestick Park featuring the San Jose Earthquakes vs the MLS Champion Columbus Crew and FC Barcelona vs Chivas Guadalajara
Soccer Silicon Valley Community Foundation was pleased to welcome 50 children and families from Soccer Without Borders as their guests in the SSV Kidzone seats for the Night of Champions doubleheader featuring the San Jose Earthquakes vs Columbus Crew and FC Barcelona vs Chivas Guadalajara.
"Soccer Silicon Valley, through our community foundation and in partnership with the San Jose Earthquakes, has set up a program to bring 50 deserving kids to every Earthquakes home game," says SSV Kidzone Chair Lloyd Danon. "Because of the deserving children that Soccer Without Borders serves, we selected Soccer Without Borders to receive tickets for free admission to the game."
"We are really excited to be working with the team's fans through SSV Community Foundation on the Kidzone," says Earthquakes Executive Vice President David Alioto. "We are pleased with the choice of Soccer Without Borders as a deserving program for this partnership."
About the Soccer Without Borders Oakland Refugee Community Soccer Camp:
The refugee community soccer camp is an annual camp which takes place in Oakland and provides more 55 refugee children and youth with the opportunity to participate in a high quality soccer program. Many refugees from all over the world are resettled annually throughout the Bay Area. Having fled conflicts in their home countries, refugees seek peace and the opportunity for a better life here in the U.S.A. Refugees living in the Bay Area face many challenges including language and cultural barriers, economic hardship, and the difficulties of becoming acquainted with a new lifestyle. Summer can be a particularly isolated time for refugee children, especially those who recently arrived, as they have few opportunities for social engagement and learning. Using the universal language of soccer to create a fun and dynamic atmosphere, Soccer Without Borders hosts a camp to provide a positive activity and teach young people the lessons inherent in soccer. The camp features coaches and students from Liberia, Burma, Russia, Uzbekistan, Thailand, Ivory Coast and Bhutan. The camp is run with several other organizations which serve refugee youth in Oakland including the International Rescue Committee, the Oakland Unified School Districts Refugee/Asylee Student Assistance Program, Refugee Transitions and Oakland International High School. In the upcoming year, Soccer Without Borders will work in partnership with these organizations to expand soccer programming for refugee students throughout the year. For more information, visit www.soccerwithoutborders.org.
About Soccer Silicon Valley Community Foundation:
Soccer Silicon Valley Community Foundation (SSVCF) is an all-volunteer 501c(3) non-profit comprised of San Jose Earthquakes fans whose mission is to ensure on an ongoing, sustainable basis, the vitality, and availability to all, of the sport of soccer in the Bay Area. Through the SSV Kidzone, SSVCF will bring during the 2009 MLS season a different group of 50 deserving kids (and their adult chaperones) from a different youth-oriented non-profit in a different Bay Area community to see Earthquakes soccer – an experience they will remember forever – in the "SSV Kidzone," courtesy of Earthquakes fans. The SSV Kidzone is a collaborative effort between the fans and the San Jose Earthquakes, who have made significantly discounted tickets available to SSVCF for purchase in the SSV Kidzone. For more information or to make a donation go to www.ssvcf.org
About San Jose Earthquakes:
The San Jose Earthquakes are a Major League Soccer expansion team. Individual tickets are on sale and can be purchased by calling 1-800-225-2277 or online at www.sjearthquakes.com.
Contact:
SSVCF – Lori Hibbett – (408) 858-2464 – Lhibbett@comcast.net
SSVCF – Lloyd Danon – (408) 859-7266 – l_danon@yahoo.com
San Jose Earthquakes – Jed Mettee – (408) 556-7723 – Jmettee@sjearthquakes.com
San Jose Earthquakes – Flor Rivera – (408) 556-7705 – Frivera@sjearthquakes.com
