SANDY, Utah - Four members of Real Salt Lake - MF Kyle Beckerman, DF Nat Borchers, GK Nick Rimando, and DF Chris Wingert - are joining forces with locally-based G.O.A.L.S. for Greatness with the hopes of "Granting Opportunities Against Life's Struggles," which is the driving force behind the new charitable initiative.
G.O.A.L.S. for Greatness has been established to bring assistance and awareness to the men, women, and children in our community who face adverse medical or physical circumstances in their daily lives. Just as the locally-based Soccer Unites Utah group spurred the American soccer community's efforts to promote becoming a marrow donor across the last year, G.O.A.L.S. hopes to strike a similar vein, be it individually or in partnering with other charities, by providing opportunities to make living "livable" and bringing happiness to all they touch.
G.O.A.L.S. for Greatness' first fundraising initiative comes in the build-up to the 2009 MLS All-Star Game, as the charity will be selling limited-edition "City of Stars" flags, featuring replica autographs of the entire 2009 Real Salt Lake squad. The 2' x 3' flags will be selling for $15 through the next two weeks and will be available online at www.GoalsforGreatness.com and at Real Salt Lake's Pioneer Day match against FC Dallas, presented by Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah, on Friday, July 24 (8:00 p.m. MT kickoff). For more information, including an image of the City of Stars flag and ordering details, please visit www.GoalsforGreatness.com/blog.
G.O.A.L.S. for Greatness has also announced its "Déjà vu Prom Night," the group's first fundraising event, to be held at La Caille Restaurant (9565 Wasatch Drive in Sandy) on Sunday, August 16 from 5:00-10:00 p.m. MT. With the assistance of Nat Borchers, the Prom Night will be held in benefit of the SMA Kids Fund, with all proceeds from the $75/individual or $150/couple tickets going directly to the charity.
Over the last five years, Borchers has worked passionately to bring attention to children afflicted with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a neuromuscular disease that affects the motor nerves, resulting in muscle wasting and weakness. Families who have kids with SMA, which occurs once in every 6,000-10,000 births, are faced with many difficulties, including procuring extra medical care, special nutrition, and physical therapy for their kids' atrophied muscles. Most of the time, Medicaid and private insurance do not provide enough money to pay for these services.
"I first became aware of SMA when I was playing for Colorado in 2004, when I met Seth Strickland, a 4-year-old who was a huge soccer fan and came to every practice and game that he could make it to," said Borchers, the recipient of RSL's 2008 Humanitarian of the Year Award. "Seth's ability to be a normal, fun-loving kid while dealing with the difficulties of SMA was inspirational to me, and when I came to Salt Lake I realized that there were many SMA families like his that I could help. It is now my goal to help bring greater awareness to this disease and to assist these local Utah families in paying for these medical expenses."
For more information on the Déjà vu Prom Night at La Caille, including a reservation form to reserve your spot for this special evening, visit the G.O.A.L.S. for Greatness blog at www.GoalsforGreatness.com/blog.
