Soccer News: Florida Soccer Organizations to Help Fight Pediatric Cancer

Cancer is one of those diseases that cause an immediate, gut response. No one wants to hear that diagnosis, and when it comes for a child it’s even worse. Now two Florida organizations, Premier Sports Campus and the Clearwater Chargers Soccer Club, are teaming up to help fight pediatric cancers using the beautiful game. Three upcoming tournaments, the Nike Cup over Labor Day weekend, the Clearwater Chargers’ Thanksgiving Tournament, and the Memorial Day festival, will all provide a portion of proceeds to the V Foundation for Cancer Research. 

The V Foundation for Cancer Research was founded in by ESPN and the late Jim Valvano, an ESPN commentator and former head coach of the North Carolina State men’s basketball team. The foundation has raised over $100 million to fund cancer research, and gives 100% of direct cash donations and net proceeds to the cause – relying on an underlying endowment to cover administrative costs.

The Clearwater Chargers SC was originally founded in 1972 as a men’s soccer team, but has since grown to dozens of teams and hundreds of young players. The club has produced over 40 boys state champions and more than a dozen girls champions in its nearly 40-year history, including the 1997 U19 National Champion.

For this project, Clearwater Chargers will donate on a sliding scale, with more teams meaning more money donated. They will contribute $15 for the first 200 teams that sign up, $20 for 201-250, $25 for 251-300, and $30 for every team over 300.

“These three tournaments should attract thousands of people to the Premier Sports Campus,” said Rob O’Nan, president of the Clearwater Chargers, in a released statement. “We really wanted to do something to give back to the community with these events. The V Foundation not only funds cancer research nationwide, but has also funded pediatric cancer research at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa and All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg.”

If you live and play soccer in the Southeast and are interested in any of these tournaments, you can visit the Clearwater Chargers Soccer Club Tournaments website. For more information about the V Foundation, visit their website also.

The Premier Sports Campus at Lakewood Ranch is a multi-purpose facility that is home to 22 full-sized, mixed use fields for soccer, lacrosse and other amateur sports, and features Celebration grass and underground irrigation.  The complex is used for amateur and professional top-flight and world-class sporting tournaments, events, camps and clinics and is located in Lakewood Ranch-- the 8,500-acre award winning master-planned community in Sarasota and Manatee counties on the West Coast of Florida.  www.lakewoodranch.com