The Amherst Survival Center will again be a designated charity for the 8th Annual Supercuts SoccerFest on May 1st at UMass!
Press Release
Supercuts SoccerFest: From Amherst to Africa
Two local charities will be the big winners at this year’s 8th annual Supercuts SoccerFest, to be held Saturday, May 1st at the fields behind McGuirk Stadium on the UMass Amherst campus.
Themed “From Amherst to Africa,” this year’s event will benefit the Amherst Survival Center and former UMass soccer coach Ken Banda’s Banda Bola Foundation for children in his home village of Chituka in Malawi, Africa.
The cause marketing feature for the Amherst Survival Center will be a dunk tank featuring local celebrities including UMass student-athletes and coaches. Any donation will provide 3 throws with proceeds going to the Amherst Survival Center.
“We’re delighted that SoccerFest has chosen to continue its relationship with and support of the Amherst Survival Center,” said Cheryl Zoll, the Center’s Executive Director. “Those who attend will enjoy dunking local celebrities, all for a good cause.” The Amherst Survival Center supports the health and well being of residents of Franklin and Hampshire counties with a wide variety of programs designed to help people meet their basic needs. The Center serves over three thousand people from these counties each year.
The Chituka Village Project is a small privately run charity that collects donations of used and new sports equipment, school supplies, health products, and clothing. There will be drop boxes present on the day of SoccerFest. The project is designed to attract children to stay in school and shun attitudes that keep them away from education, such as a lack of motivation and a lack of resources. It is our intentions as a class and department to assist in the delivering of these goods back to Chituka Village by donating 10% of registration fees to the Banda Bola Sports Foundation, as well as, any donations the day of the event. Coach Ken Banda has remained active in the Amherst community since his departure holding a number of clinics each year for local youth. Banda will be present for the event showing displays of footwork, running mini-clinics, and raffling off two full clinic sessions.
In its eighth year, the non-profit tournament is supported solely by sponsors and participant registration fees. Tournament proceeds go toward the Erik Kjeldsen Scholarship Fund named after former UMass Sport Management professor Dr. Erik Kjeldsen. Each year the Sport Management Department awards scholarships to two of its students who exemplify academic excellence and stellar work ethic.
Registration opened on April 1st, and will close on April 21st. For any additional information on Supercuts SoccerFest, please visit http://www.soccerfest.org. For information on the Chituka Village Project, please visit http://www.bandabola-soccer.com. For information on the Amherst Survival Center, visit http://people.umass.edu/support/asc/
