Staten Island’s Gold Ribbon Soccer Games on November 2 to Benefit Candlelighters NYC
New York Youth Soccer News: The inspiration for the evening is Maggie Russo, a spirited 10-year-old from Our Lady of Good Council Soccer Club, who has been undergoing treatment for cancer.
The Staten Island Youth Soccer League (SIYSL), the southernmost league in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA), is hosting the 2nd Annual Gold Ribbon Games, a series of games under the lights at the Owl Hollow Soccer Complex on Friday night, November 2.
The goal is to raise money for Candlelighters NYC, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping families through the difficult times when their child is diagnosed with and being treated for cancer.
They assist through all stages, including discovery, diagnosis, treatment, and remission.
The inspiration for the evening is Maggie Russo, a spirited 10-year-old from Our Lady of Good Council Soccer Club, who has been undergoing treatment for cancer.
Maggie was diagnosed with cancer when she was about to turn two years old and it started in her eye and has spread to her bone marrow and later her bladder wall. Maggie’s mom, Mary Beth Russo, is the Assistant Director for the club.
Eight SIYSL teams from the Girls-Under-13 age group will be playing, including Maggie, who will also kick out the first ball. Gold is the color of pediatric cancer awareness so the squads will be wearing gold laces and Maggie’s team will be wearing gold socks as well.
The night begins at 6:30 pm with the check-in for the games and players can sign up for the Skills Contest at this time. The Skills Contest goes from 7:15 to 8:00 pm and is run by We Can Kick It.
Maggie will kick out the first ball at 8:00 pm and the games begin. A special fundraiser this year is to score a goal on your favorite SIYSL Executive Board member as they will be taking their turns as goalkeepers.
For more info about the 2nd Annual Gold Ribbon Games, please contact Liz Morrano at 718-290-4405.
Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association: With over 100,000 youth soccer players–both boys and girls–and more than 25,000 volunteers, the non-profit Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) reaches from Montauk Point, Long Island to the Canadian border. Members are affiliated with nine leagues throughout the association, which covers the entire state of New York east of Route 81. ENYYSA exists to promote and enhance the game of soccer for children and teenagers between the ages of 5 and 19 years old and to encourage the healthy development of youth players, coaches, referees, and administrators.
