Go4theGoal: Soccer Players Uniting to Help Children Battling Cancer
Go4theGoal Foundation’s mission is to improve the lives of children battling cancer by providing financial support, developing and implementing unique hospital programs, funding innovative research, and granting personal wishes.
Through their first hand experience with pediatric cancer and medical background, Go4theGoal provides the best practices to patients, their families, and the hospitals and staff that care for them.
Go4theGoal Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in 2006 by Dr. Richard and Beth Stefanacci, soon after their oldest child was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. Go4theGoal provides children undergoing cancer treatment and their families with financial assistance, grants wishes, funds hospital-based programs, and since 2007, Go4theGoal has funded over $1,000,000 in research.
One of Go4theGoal’s national campaigns is Lace Up 4 Pediatric Cancer®.
Lace Up 4 Pediatric Cancer® was born September of 2011 in the youth soccer community in Bergen County, NJ. Within it’s first 3 months almost 20,000 soccer players, of all levels were “Laced Up” with gold laces.
Without time to strategize for the 2012 year a community took on the campaign in January to support 2 local boys that were diagnosed the week of Christmas and 10,000 gold laces were sold in 2 weeks.
In 2014, Go4theGoal introduced the campaign in partnership with Akron Children’s Hospital.
Kameryn Zingale, a soccer player, was a volunteer in the pediatric oncology division of Akron Children’s, going into her junior year at Archbishop Hoban High School.
Kameryn was able to rally friends, family, soccer teams, as well as rivals to get involved. Her efforts raised $25,000 all of which went right back into her own community helping local kids battling cancer. Because of Kameryn’s success she was not only able to raise a substantial amount of money for the hospital, but she also help create the most awareness during pediatric cancer awareness month that the hospital has ever experienced.
This year Lace Up 4 Pediatric Cancer® has partnered with upwards of 20 hospitals across the country with all fundraising staying local. Their vision is to see athletes in every community partnering with Go4theGoal to support every child and hospital in their hometown.
“I am the parent of a young survivor and was moved to help when I found out my son’s hospital would benefit. He is now a healthy soccer player, so this was the perfect way to give back. Go4theGoal was very easy to work with and prompt in responding to questions. They provided posters, literature, balloons- everything we needed for a smooth fundraiser. The shoelaces were very well received by the families who were eager to support the cause.” – Renee
Wearing Go4theGoal Gold Laces is a way for individuals, teams, and clubs to come together for as little as $5 per player, make an impact to local kids battling cancer, help support the great hospitals right in your own backyards, and show those fighting these diseases that they are not fighting alone.
Visit their online shop to purchase not only gold laces but socks, arm sleeves, headbands and more.
