Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Soccer Foundation, the major charitable arm of soccer in the United States, and the Safeway Foundation are working together to provide free nutrition education and physical activity programming to children in the metro Denver and Seattle communities. The Safeway Foundation has awarded the U.S. Soccer Foundation with a $100,000 grant to enhance the efforts of the U.S. Soccer Foundation’s Soccer for Success program, a free afterschool program that uses soccer as a tool to combat childhood obesity and improve the well-being of children in underserved communities. This is the first time that the Safeway Foundation has provided grant funding in the area of childhood obesity prevention.
Fifty percent of Safeway’s award to the Foundation will be used to support Soccer for Success programming in the metro Denver area. The program, operated by the Colorado Rapids Youth Soccer Club, will provide approximately 1,500 participants with physical activity and nutrition education, three days per week for the entire academic year – at no cost to their families.The remaining fifty percent of Safeway’s award will be used to support Soccer for Success programming in the Seattle community. The program, operated by Washington Youth Soccer, will serve approximately 800 participants in the 2013-2014 program year.
On October 19, 2013, during halftime of the Colorado Rapids match versus the Vancouver Whitecaps FC, the Safeway Foundation will present the award to the U.S. Soccer Foundation at a check-presentation ceremony at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Denver, Colorado.
“We thank the Safeway Foundation for supporting Soccer for Success programming as a way to improve the well-being of children,” said Ed Foster-Simeon, President& CEO of the U.S. Soccer Foundation. “Through collaboration, we can have a significant impact on the health of children in the community through soccer programming that elicits positive physical and social development.”
“Safeway strongly believes that teaching health and wellness at an early age can make a huge difference in the quality of life for a child that can last throughout their lifetime,” said Kevin Wehrly, Vice President of Retail Operations of Safeway’s Denver Division. “We are proud to support Soccer for Success, which will teach thousands of children in the Denver Metro area about the importance of exercise and nutrition to combat the dangerous epidemic of childhood obesity.”
“The Safeway Foundation seeks out partners in the communities that are dedicated to, and effective at, improving childhood health and well-being,” said Sara Osborne, Director of Public Affairs at Safeway Inc. “We are so pleased to have a program like Soccer for Success in Seattle to support, and look forward to seeing the results of their work this year.”
For more information about Soccer for Success, please visit ussoccerfoundation.org/soccerforsuccess.
About the U.S. Soccer Foundation
The U.S. Soccer Foundation is a recognized leader in sports-based youth development programs for children in underserved, urban communities. Since its founding in 1994, the organization has provided more than $59 million in funding to create and sustain innovative programs across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Proven to deliver positive health and social outcomes, the Foundation’s affordable initiatives offer safe environments in which both boys and girls thrive. Headquartered in Washington, D.C. the U.S. Soccer Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization. Visit www.ussoccerfoundation.org to learn more.
About the Safeway Foundation
The Safeway Foundation supports causes that impact its customers’ lives. Safeway’s stores provide the opportunity to mobilize funding and create awareness in neighborhoods through its employees’ passion, partnerships with its vendors, and the generous contributions by its customers. The Safeway Foundation focus on giving locally in the areas of health and human services, hunger relief, education and helping people living with disabilities. The Safeway Foundation is partnering with Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland (CHRCO) to develop community or clinic-based programs designed to reduce the burden of childhood obesity. For more information, please visit: http://www.safewayfoundation.org/
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