Over 1500 children and young people from San Diego (US) took part in a youth soccer tournament aimed at raising money to tackle a range of development issues in Africa.
 
Kick for Hope saw 89 teams from Under 8s to Under 19s compete over two days with their tournament entry fees supporting the work of streetfootballworld network members Kick4Life and Grassroot Soccer, as well as Malaria No More and Charity Water.
 
The event was launched with an inaugral Kick Off Jam and Charity Exhibition Game on July 10th at the University of San Diego's Torero Stadium. Premiere Arena Soccer League (PASL) club, the San Diego Sockers took on the Kick for Hope All Stars, a team of local club soccer coaches.   More than 2000 spectators watched the match with half-time speeches and video presentations by the charities.

Kick4Life cofounder Steve Fleming said, "The event had a fantastic vibe, and throughout both the Kick Off Jam and the tournament there was real interest from the kids and parents in finding out more about how their involvement was making a difference. The funds raised will help Kick4Life expand our Test Your Team campaign, and we are incredibly grateful for the support of such a brilliantly conceived and organised event."
 
Kick for Hope was initiated by Kristen Chandler after her son travelled to Africa in 2008 and witnessed the passion for football. Kristen says, "We were told the children there didn't want toys, just soccer balls. When I asked my daughter's soccer club to help, they provided a generous supply of new balls. A passion for soccer is a common bond our children have with children in Africa. So why not use this shared passion to help the poorest children in the world?"

In the run up to next year's event Kristen now plans to visit Kick4Life's Test Your Team campaign in Lesotho to see how football is being used to encourage HIV testing among youth and to break down stigma surrounding the disease.

To find out more about Kick for Hope visit: www.kickforhope.org
To find out more about Kick4Life visit www.kick4life.org
To find out more about Grassroot Soccer visit www.grassrootsoccer.org