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WSOC to host Boys and Girls Club benefit Tuesday vs. Lee
By Matt Green
ROME -- On Tuesday, the mission of the Shorter University women's soccer team will be two-fold.
Objective No. 1 -- to dethrone three-time defending national champion and No. 2-ranked Lee University in a pivotal Southern States Athletic Conference showdown. The second -- to raise a healthy amount of money in support of the West Rome Boys and Girls Club.
Efforts to raise funds for the Boys and Girls club will take center stage on Tuesday, Oct. 25 as Shorter hosts the SSAC-leading Lady Flames at 4:30 pm on Ben Brady Field. The Lady Hawks, who have spent countless hours at the West Rome Boys and Girls Club since last spring, are giving members of the Shorter and Rome communities ample opportunity to donate to a very worthy cause all while hosting one of the NAIA's premier soccer programs.
"We started working with the Boys and Girls Club of West Rome last spring and continued to build that relationship throughout this fall," said Shorter head coach Jennifer Colley. "The girls go over once a week and run a soccer clinic for the kids. It is a great opportunity to introduce soccer to the community, but more than that, to allow our women's soccer players to share their gifts with the kids."
The Lady Hawks will spend the majority of the day focused on their fundraising efforts.
The team will accept donations outside of the Shorter dining hall at lunch and dinner on Tuesday as well as during the game. A donation of $10 or more will warrant a free t-shirt to be handed out at the game that night.
During the game, the jerseys worn by Shorter's men and women's soccer teams will be auctioned off with all proceeds benefitting the Boys and Girls Club. Fans will also have an opportunity to participate in a silent auction throughout the evening for a framed jersey signed by the team as well a signed game ball.
Colley and crew have invited the children of the Boys and Girls Club to Ben Brady Field to watch the game and the team itself has set a goal to raise $1,000 for the organization.
"I am extremely proud of the team for how much work and dedication they have put into this fundraiser and for their work with the kids at the Boys and Girls Club," Colley said. "They are making a positive difference in young people's lives and that is exciting to see first hand."
