CASL heads to Ronald McDonald House of Durham

On Wednesday, CASL staff will join a few generous CASL families who signed up to volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House of Durham (RMH-Durham). We will be baking brownies and cookies for the families who are staying at the house. It is our goal as an organization to live our mission and be a committed community partner.

If you don't know about the Ronald McDonald House network, here's some insights:

• the Ronald McDonald House offers a comforting home away from home and a community of support for seriously ill children and their families
• The RMH-Durham has been operating since 1980
• RMH programs provide families with private bedrooms, community spaces, home-cooked meals and a stocked kitchen, a playroom, and a computer room and laundry facilities.

This is a timely opportunity for CASL considering a local McDonald's co-op is sponsoring CASL's Friendship Cup this weekend. McDonald's is a generous corporate community partner which is proven by their long history of support for the Ronald McDonald House Charities.

Team Becky: Walk like MADD

This volunteer effort is just one of the many efforts CASL is having in our community. Our 40th Anniversary motto is to "make assists both on and off the field." So far this year, we've made nearly 30 "assists" in our community through various efforts. Below is a list of many of the organizations we have helped in our community through promotion, activation at our facility, volunteer support, and fundraising: 

• Inter-Faith Food Shuttle: BackPack Buddies Program and Grocery Bags for Seniors Program
  
• Kay Yow Cancer Fund: Over $14,000 raised to support breast cancer research and programming
• Haven House Services, Inc: FREE soccer clinics to youth in the programs
• Susan G. Komen Foundation: CASL team and staff participated in the event to support breast cancer reserch
• Walk like MADD: CASL supported TEAM BECKY, who was walking in honor of Becky DeNardis - a former CASL player tragically lost her life to a drink driver in March
• H.A.N.D.S: 291 lbs of gently used soccer gear donated to Helping Haiti and Soccer
• Jimmy V Foundation: CASL donated a gift/raffle basket for Red and White Soccer Classic hosted by NC State Students
• Go Red for Women: CASL promoted and help make our membership aware of the risk for women and heart disease
• Nessie Foundation: Through CASL's soccer community outreach, youth living in Parrish Manor community were given the opportunity to participate in free soccer clinics
• Wake County Public School System: CASL hosted after-school clinics for students at Forestville Elementary, Brentwood Elementary, and Hodge Elementary - all schools who have high volume of youth on free and reduced lunch. 
• WolfPack Backs Pinkerton Clinic: Through promotion and attendance, CASL supported the free clinic hosted by NCSU, which helped raise funds and support Ben Pinkerton, former CASL coach who is facing the toughest battle of his life against cancer
• NC Museum of Life and Sciences: CASL staff meeting held off-site at the museum, which supported the Friends of the Museum
• CASL Golf Tournament: raised funds to support CASL scholarships, community outreach, facility improvements, and coaching education/retention
• Comfort Zone Camps: two CASL players participated in the Beach to Battleship half-marathon in support of Comfort Zone Camps, which is a bereavement camp for grieving children. CASL promoted the event and the camp
• Boys and Girls Clubs: CASL's mascot, Cleats, added to the excitement at no charge for the spring Carnival at the Raleigh Boys and Girls Club
• Agua Viva Orphanage: CASL provide soccer balls and equipment to a mission trip headed to Guatemala 
• American Cancer Society CASL donated Davis Drive Park field space to a Relay for Life event to help raise funds and awareness for American Cancer Society
• YMCA: Cleats passed out pencils and interacted with the kids during soccer week at the YMCA of the Triangle at no cost to the community non-profit organization
• MiracleFeet: through on-site activation, flyers to families, and social media, CASL has promoted and supported MiracleFeet's "socks" campaign, which supports club foot correction in underserved countries
• Raleigh Parks and Recreation: CASL's soccer communtiy outreach programming offers free soccer programming to youth involved in community centers around Raleigh including Peach Road and Method Road
• Special Needs Population: through HEART, CASL provides a free soccer program for youth with intellectual disabilities. The program has grown over the years and the players engage in 8 practices each season. This year, games were incorporated and three teams will be participating int the Friendship Cup



CASL Community Outreach at Raleigh
Parks and Rec Facility

• Friendship Cup: CASL's Friendship Cup is a free, single day tournament for youth from underserved communities to play soccer in a safe, inclusive environment (set for Saturday, June 28)

Thanks to everyone who has supported our 40th Anniversary campaign. We are halfway through the year and well on our way to exceed our goal of engaging in 40 unique efforts in our community. If you have ideas or opportunities for CASL to support a community effort or organization, please let us know by email katharine.kelley@caslnc.com 

Hamilton Sportsmanship Award Night

by Rachel Harris, CASL Intern

More than 400 CASL players were recognized during halftime of the Carolina RailHawks game on Saturday, May 31. This represented our largest showing to date for the awards night at the RailHawks game, with nearly two-thirds of all winners being present at the game and overflowing the CASL Tower. We had to spill over into neighboring sections to accommodate all of the winners, their families, and the many coaches who came to support these outstanding players. 

thanks @jlavender24 for the picture of your players and their awards!

waiting for the masses

This past Saturday night, we celebrated the CASL Hamilton Sportsmanship Awards Night, presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods, as the Carolina RailHawks took on the Tampa Bay Rowdies. The night was a complete success as more than 400 CASL Hamilton Sportsmanship Award winners came to pick up their certificate and souvenir items pre-game and participated in the halftime parade. 

Halftime parade of champions

Cici's Pizza donated 100 pizzas to the night

As a server of FREE pizza (thanks to CASL sponsor CiCi’s pizza for donating 100 pizzas!) at our CASL tent during pre-game festivities, I was lucky enough to hear a lot of positive feedback from parents on the night. Several parents thanked us for making the night special for their child and emphasizing the importance of sportsmanship, a core value of CASL. We would like to specially thank Dick’s Sporting Goods and WakeMed Health and Hospitals whose sponsorship of this award helped make the event special for these children. CiCi's Pizza also helped add value to the night by providing FREE pizza to all the winners and their guests.

Each Sportsmanship Award winner received a free ticket to the RailHawks game, an official Hamilton Sportsmanship Award certificate, a CASL/Dick’s Sporting Goods folder, a CASL “Good Sport” wristband, CASL pencils, a Dick’s Sporting Goods coupon, and a CiCi’s Coupon. Cleats, CASL's mascot, was on hand to help congratulate each of the winners. We also had a large representation of CASL staff, coaches, and board members who were all present to help celebrate these good sports.

The Hamilton Sportsmanship Award is named for Dr. Pat B. Hamilton, who greatly assisted the process of establishing and developing youth soccer in Raleigh and North Carolina. His daughter, Cindy Hamilton, attended this Spring 2014 Hamilton Night, and has consistently attended our past Hamilton Award Nights, to help perpetuate the spirit of sportsmanship in CASL and youth soccer. 

Check out a list of all of this year’s winners HERE.