Barefoot Soccer raises AIDS funds, awareness

By Lisa Moore
Hometown Weekly Correspondent

Last weekend, Wellesley United Soccer Club hosted the 7th annual 24 Hours of Barefoot Soccer in Wellesley. Due to severe weather on Saturday, the event was shortened to a nine-hour event on Sunday. Run by volunteers each year, 24 Hours of Barefoot Soccer is a fundraiser to support Grassroot Soccer Inc. (GRS), a non-profit organization that uses the common love of soccer to empower, inspire, and educate communities to stop the spread of HIV in Africa.

The GRS model uses trained coaches that incorporate soccer into engaging lessons about health and wellness. The goal is to get young people involved in useful discussions that help to break down cultural barriers to health and wellness.

Founded in 2002, GRS has been dedicated to helping young people in developing countries to live healthier lives. Understanding the tremendous potential of the youth of today, GRS provides the tools that give young people the opportunity to create change and have positive lasting impact in overcoming their greatest health challenges.

In most countries outside the US, soccer is the most popular sport, with over 265 million people actively playing the sport worldwide. Many young people in Africa look up to their favorite players and coaches as role models. Grassroot Soccer has tapped into the love of soccer, and has been using it to connect young people with mentors, information, and health services to empower them to make healthy choices about serious health challenges such as HIV, AIDS, sexual health, gender-based violence, and malaria.

After a soggy start, the 24 Hours of Barefoot Soccer event kicked off with people coming to play the game like most youth in Africa play it - barefoot. Wearing yellow and green shirts, the colors of the flag of the African Union, players took the field. Some stayed for only a short time while others stayed for the duration of the event, but all had fun as they helped raise awareness and funds in support of Grassroot Soccer and its mission.

WHS women’s soccer players Abbie Silverstein and Kelcie Zarle, with the help of their parents Lori and David Silverstein and Amanda and Stig Zarle, led the charge in organizing the event. Many local businesses supported the event, providing food, beverages, and funds to help the attendees make it through the long day.