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Through its first five years, Soccer Aid has raised more than $36,000 (over $30,000 net) for the Mid-Ohio Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), which remains the program's primary beneficiary. The concept is simple: Soccer fans bid on-line at CrewSoccerFoundation.org and TheCrew.com for a chance to win official game jerseys autographed by Crew players, as well as the opportunity to experience the thrill of match day at one-of-a-kind Columbus Crew Stadium. "The Crew and the Crew Soccer Foundation remain committed to supporting the exceptional efforts of JDRF to find a cure for type 1 diabetes, while also striving to assist other worthy causes within our community and fund the good work currently being done by the CSF," said Mark McCullers, Crew general manager and president of the CSF board of directors. "Soccer Aid is a terrific program which helps advance each of those imperatives while creating unique experiences and memories." Soccer Aid is modeled after the highly successful "Football Aid" program, which was founded by Craig Paterson in the United Kingdom in 2000 (and launched in 2001) out of a father's desire to create an exciting and rewarding way to raise funds for diabetes research. Football Aid now benefits a host of charitable organizations and has spread throughout Europe. It was brought to the United States in 2003 by former Crew head coach Greg Andrulis, whose son, Austin, has type 1 diabetes. The Crew Soccer Foundation is dedicated to giving back to the community that supports Ohio's Major League Soccer club, by serving as a catalyst for community investment and development. Leveraging the club's unique status as the state's – and region's – acknowledged soccer leader, the CSF works to advance the sport at all levels and enrich the overall quality of life in central Ohio and beyond, with an emphasis on developing the potential of our area's young people. For more information on Soccer Aid or the Crew Soccer Foundation, please contact Dave Stephany, executive director at 614-447-4190 or Robin Ungerleider, Development & Program Specialist at (614) 447-4175 or visit us on the Web at www.CrewSoccerFoundation.org. For more information on JDRF, please call Staci Perkins, executive director of the Mid-Ohio Chapter at 614-464-2873. |
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Community Gallery
The Crew Soccer Foundation presents "Soccer Aid," a unique, adrenaline-loaded fund-raiser, which capitalizes on soccer fans' passion for the sport to raise money for charity through the non-profit arm of Major League Soccer's Columbus Crew.
