The Victory Project recently made a $10,000 donation to support the Youth R.I.S.E. soccer program, which consists of local players representing 24 different nationalities.
The donation, which will help provide uniforms and cover transportation costs, is the latest to be announced in a series of major contributions The Victory Project is making across the Kansas City region. An initiative of Sporting KC, The Victory Project unites players, staff, fans and community partners to help children through all of life’s challenges with a particular focus on the following three pillars:
- Enhancing and enriching the lives of children with cancer
- Making the sport of soccer more accessible to children with limited financial resources
- Providing special experiences and unique opportunities to children with disabilities
On December 13, Sporting KC Manager of Community Programs Chioma Atanmo and Sporting KC Director of Youth Soccer Programming Brennan Williams presented Youth R.I.S.E. staff and players with a $10,000 check (pictured above).
"We have found that sports serve as an effective channel for many youths to better understand the need to further their education,” said Youth R.I.S.E. Executive Director Ann Murphy. “While many participants are initially attracted to our program through the game of soccer and its camaraderie, they are also drawn to the attention they receive in the form of tutoring in basic school subjects and community service activities we engage in as a group. Through the soccer program, we are able to reinforce the importance of school and community.”
Murphy, a police officer in the Kansas City Police Department, was selected to represent Sporting Kansas City as an MLS WORKS Community MVP in 2018. She founded Youth R.I.S.E. (Resilience Influence Support Education) in 2011 to transform the lives of adolescents in underserved neighborhoods across Kansas City.
Youth R.I.S.E. provides support to students between the ages of nine years old and 22 years old by providing tutoring, mentoring and college prep services. To learn more, visit youthrisekc.com or follow Youth R.I.S.E. on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
