When Ann Arbor hosts Milwaukee on Friday June 8th at 7PM at Skyline High School, the match will have a little extra meaning outside of three Great Lakes Conference points.
The June 8th match will be a fundraiser for both The Mighty Oak Youth Project and the Umhlaba Vision Foundation, two organizations with close ties to the club, one looking to make an impact locally and one doing significant good in South Africa.
The Mighty Oak Youth Project, the club’s non-profit cousin, was recently launched with the aim of making soccer more accessible to youth players in Washtenaw County. The organization also supports existing clubs through financial help, equipment donations and trainings. One of the primary initiatives set forth by The Mighty Oak Youth Project will be to provide travel soccer scholarships for local youth who can’t afford the opportunity to participate.
TMOYP will also host their inaugural donation drive and gather gently used and new soccer apparel and equipment to redistribute both locally and in South Africa. Bring your old (but good condition) cleats, shin pads, jerseys and more to the June 8th match to help so many who would benefit from these items.
Umhlaba Vision Foundation is the brainchild non-profit of Assistant Coach Boyzzz Khumalo and two childhood friends, who felt that it was imperative to try and create similar opportunities to earn an education through soccer, the way Boyzzz and so many of the UVF alum have done over the years.
Every year, Khumalo returns to South Africa in December to host an annual tournament, distribute gear and equipment to the local kids, and most importantly spread their message of education. He lives by the motto, “It’s up to us to uplift our community.”
AFC Ann Arbor will wear a special edition, one match only, light blue kit, featuring both TMOYP and UVF. The jerseys will be auctioned off to raise money to provide youth soccer scholarships within our community.
Fans will have a chance to make a difference both locally and globally, simply by attending the match. Club Chairman, Bilal Saeed is thrilled about this event.
“Our club exists to give back to our community and provide opportunities for soccer players and this match is going to allow us to make a huge positive impact in so many young lives,” he added.
To donate to The Mighty Oak Youth Project, click here. To get tickets to the June 8th match, click here.