Elite Soccer's Pinktober
Elite Soccer, its non-profit arm the Elite Soccer Community Organization (ESCO), and Dunkin' Donuts Arlington Park, presented a check for $2,000 to Northwest Community Healthcare's (NCH) Gift a Mammogram Program on November 3rd.
Throughout October, Elite Soccer players wore pink jerseys and shoe laces in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Over 275 jerseys were sold, with proceeds benefitting NCH. Youth Leaders from ESCO's Youth Leadership Program organized a service project that sold over 1,200 pink bracelets that said, "Kick Cancer." Proceeds from bracelet sales also benefitted NCH. In addition, two Youth Leaders from the U12 Boys Black team took it upon themselves to organize their own team fundraiser to support NCH, raising nearly $400!
Finally, ESCO sponsored a "Pink Out" game on October 24th, featuring Elite's U18 Girls Premier Black team, where fans were encouraged to wear pink. Dunkin' Donuts Arlington Park sold pink donuts, hot chocolate and coffee, and donated proceeds to NCH. The ESCO Youth Leaders also sold 50/50 raffle tickets. In all, the various fundraising efforts throughout October totaled $2,000 for NCH's Gift a Mammogram Program, which will pay for 20 mammograms for women in need in the area.
"Many of our players' families have been touched by breast cancer in one way or another. This annual effort is just one thing we can do as an organization to raise awareness and additional funds to help the cause. It's great to see the ESCO Youth Leaders taking such an active role in a service project that can help women locally," said Mike Steele, President of Elite Soccer and of ESCO's Board of Directors.
Keith Ammons, MBA, RT (T), Director of Cancer Services for NCH shared that the Breast Program has wonderful people doing incredible things. "On a daily basis, the staff provide excellent care for women who may be worried or frightened. What ESCO has done is truly extraordinary. By partnering with NCH and supporting our 'Gift a Mammogram' program, the generosity shown will mean that women in our community, who could not afford a mammogram, can now have an important screening test that could save their life. And one thing we know about treating cancer is that earlier is better." Keith also noted that ESCO's mission statement is to build community by developing youth through soccer in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago. "It was obvious that they are truly living their mission," he said.
Elite Soccer is a comprehensive soccer-based youth development organization that serves youth ages 3-23 in year round programming dedicated to teaching life lessons through soccer. For more information about Elite Soccer, visit www.elitesoccer.net.
ESCO is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to building community by developing youth through soccer in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago. For more information about ESCO, visit www.elitesoccercommunity.org.