By Mwaniki Muturi
This past Saturday the Assumption College Men’s Soccer team faced off against New Haven in their 2nd annual “Kick CF game.” Partnered with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the Boston Breakers Youth Academy, the men’s soccer team has raised money at this game to help benefit the CF Foundation. Although this game is very special to the Assumption Greyhounds, senior defender Jordan Cavaco has a unique connection to the game, and is the one that is credited to starting the tradition of the “Kick CF Game.”
During his freshman year, Cavaco was offered a special opportunity to join the Boston Breakers GU12 squad as a coach. Cavaco explains, “During my first year with the Breakers youth team, I learned that one of my players, Lindsay Burgess, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. After doing more research on cystic fibrosis and discovering how many people are affected by this disease, I simply wanted to find a way to help. I noticed that other athletic teams on campus hosted benefit games for causes such as breast cancer awareness and the Wounded Warrior Project, so I figured it was time we lend a helping hand to the CF Foundation.”
Abandoning the traditional 50/50 ticket raffle, this year the Greyhounds decided to take an innovative approach to their fundraising plan. “This year we broke up our fundraising plan into three segments,” says Cavaco, “We hosted a bake sale, a jersey raffle and a balloon raffle. This was something we haven’t done before, and there was a lot of work done to make this a success.” With help from various companies and organizations such as Alex and Ani, Nike, and the Boston Red Sox, the Greyhounds led a tremendous fundraising effort. “Our initial goal was to raise $2000, and on Saturday we were able to exceed that goal, raising more than $2600.”
With an outstanding fundraising effort and the Greyhounds first win of the season, there was certainly much to celebrate and be thankful for. “Playing in a game like this truly makes you appreciate the gift of life,” Cavaco says, “You could feel it in the atmosphere. It was breathtaking to see so many people come out and support our cause. Our team knew that night we were playing for something bigger than us, and that gave us an energy that we never felt before. Being able to show a young girl that she is not going through this alone is a truly indescribable feeling that I will cherish forever. Wherever you are Lindsay, we stand with you.”
THE AC301 