#CASLPride in the Community

CASL players spread the game to youth in Nicaragua

by Jessica Kraus, CASL Intern

This summer, CASL families and staff have been making an extra effort to give back to the community! Equipment donations and community service events are just some of the ways everyone is getting involved!

Earlier this week, Ryan, Laura, and Wyatt (06 Academy Jrs Black South) Southard and CASL staff volunteered at the Wedge Community Garden in Raleigh. The Wedge Garden offers a safe place for community members to grow fresh produce and herbs. Many local organizations use the land to grow produce to help families in need fight hunger. The volunteers weeded and mulched garden beds as well as picked figs. Even though it was a hot summer evening, everyone gave it their all to make a difference!

CASL staff and volunteers at the Wedge Garden

Want to get involved?

Food Pantry: Later this week, CASL staff and volunteers members will be helping out at Urban Ministries of Wake County. Urban Ministries provides services to help families combat issues such as healthcare, homelessness, and hunger. CASL volunteers will be helping to sort food pantry items as well as bringing their own donations. You can sign up to be a part of this event on our community page.

Christmas in July: Next week from July 25- July 31, we will be participating in the Ronald McDonald House of Raleigh and Chapel Hill's Christmas in July event. We will be collecting donations during Team Camp at WRAL Soccer Park and Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 12pm-5pm at the CASL Office (5017 Memory Rd, Raleigh, NC 27609).  Visit our Community Events page for more details on donations.

Equipment donations are also a hot topic at CASL. We have had a ton of donation items dropped off at the donation bin at WRAL this summer and have been able to help spread the love of soccer throughout Wake County and the world!  Last week, donations were sent out to the Wake County Boys and Girls Club as well as a mission community in Kenya. It will be the first time the children in Kenya will have ever seen soccer cleats.

Agility sticks, balls, goalie gloves, socks, cleats, and ball pumps
were distributed to the youth in the community

Community Update: We  also heard back from CASL player Kaitlyn Gosline (01 CASL Ladies Red) about her mission trip to Nicaragua. She and her dad (a CASL coach), along with another CASL Challenge coach and 3 CASL challenge players, helped her group host soccer clinics and a tournament that utilized equipment donations from CASL. The rest of the donations sent down with them will be used to help start a community soccer league in Nicaragua! To learn more about Kaitlyn’s trip and the work she did, visit her webpage: http://nicaragua.gosline.net/

Thanks to all who have given back to the community this summer and have spread their #CASLPride!