2ND ANNUAL CELEBRITY SOCCER CHALLENGE
The Hollywood & Professional Sports Communities Come Together to Raise Money for
Childrens Hospital Los Angeles & the Mia Hamm Foundation
LOS ANGELES (Friday, December 19, 2008) – U.S. Soccer star Mia Hamm and her husband, Los Angeles Dodger Nomar Garciaparra have reached out to their friends in Hollywood and across professional sports to participate in the 2nd Annual Mia Hamm & Nomar Garciaparra Celebrity Soccer Challenge, a charity soccer match benefiting Childrens Hospital Los Angeles and the Mia Hamm Foundation, held on Saturday, January 17, 2009. Kick off is at 1 PM PST at the Home Depot Center in Carson, CA.
Raising more than $150,000 at the 2008 event with the help of partners that included Nike, Gatorade, WMG, AEG, Stanford Financial, and many more, this year’s Soccer Challenge is looking to surpass that contribution and has enlisted additional sponsor support from Starwood Hotels, Mission Product, Athletes’ Performance, The Century Council, and others. In addition to the successful fundraising, a bone marrow transplant match was made from the donor drive held throughout the Soccer Challenge.
Read More, check the Celebrity List and Watch a video after the Jump……..
At halftime, patients who were suffering from leukemia, lymphoma and other life-threatening diseases will be introduced in person for the very first time to their bone marrow donors. The donor and recipient meetings will recognize all those who have given hope to patients in need of a life-saving transplant by joining the National Marrow Donor Program Registry. Fans in attendance will be given the opportunity to register and become donors themselves.
“Nomar and I are overwhelmed by the star-studded cast of athletes and entertainers who have signed on to participate in our charity soccer match. This event will offer fans non-stop action and entertainment while supporting the life-saving work of the Childrens Hospital Los Angeles and the Mia Hamm Foundation, two organizations that are very near and dear to our hearts”, said Mia Hamm. “We are looking forward to sharing this special day with soccer fans at the Home Depot Center and promise there will be plenty of fun as we watch Hollywood celebrities try keep up with the best soccer players in the world.”
General admission tickets for the Celebrity Soccer Challenge are $20 and are on sale now through Ticketmaster (www.ticketmaster.com or 213.480.3232), or directly through the Home Depot Center Box Office. Group Ticket sales in excess of 20 or more are discounted at $15 a ticket. For more information, visit www.miafoundation.org/soccerchallenge. All proceeds will benefit bone marrow patient and family services at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles.
About the Mia Hamm Foundation
The Mia Hamm Foundation is a non-profit organization built upon a dual mission: 1) to raise funds and awareness for bone marrow transplant patients and their families; and 2) to promote and help develop more opportunities for young women in sports.
In recent years, the Mia Hamm Foundation has organized the Garrett Game, a soccer exhibition game named after Mia’s late brother, Garrett, who died in 1997 from a bone marrow disease. Donations from the Celebrity Soccer Challenge will benefit bone marrow transplant patients and their families. All proceeds from the event will benefit funds set up at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles.
Josh Hutcherson – Actor, Journey to the Center of the Earth
Bring Ching – Athlete, Houston Dynamo and US Men’s National Soccer Team
Alexi Lalas – US Soccer Icon
Benji Madden – Musician, Good Charlotte
Tony Hawk – Athlete, Skateboarding Icon
Casey Jennings – Athlete, Pro Beach Volleyball
Mia Hamm – US Soccer Icon
Zachary Levi – Actor, Chuck
Matt Reis – Athlete, New England Revolution and US Men’s National Soccer Team
Kristine Lilly – Athlete, US Women’s National Soccer Team
Paul Caligiui – US Soccer Icon
Jimmy Jean Louis – Actor, Heroes
Andrea Bowen – Actress, Desperate Housewives
Chris Richardson – Musician, American Idol
Dule Hill – Actor, Psych and West Wing
Allen Hopkins – Media, ESPN Analyst
Jim Abbott – Athlete, LA Dodgers
Tisha Hoch – Athlete, Former US Women’s National Soccer Team
Chris Klein – Athlete, LA Galaxy and US Men’s National Soccer Team
Kerri Walsh – Athlete, Olympic Gold Medalist Pro Beach Volleyball
Chris Seitz – Athlete, Real Salt Lake
Robbie Rogers – Athlete, Columbus Crew, US Men’s National Soccer Team
Mark Langston – Athlete
Anthony LaPaglia – Actor, Without A Trace
Angus T Jones – Actor, Two and a Half Men
Brandi Chastain – US Soccer Icon
Nomar Garciaparra – MLB Great
Rivers Cuomo – Musician, Front Man for Weezer
Ryan Sheckler – Athlete, Skateboarding Phenom, MTV Reality Show
Marcus Allen – Athlete, NFL Pro Bowler
Oliver Wyss – Athlete
Josh Henderson – Actor, The “new” 90210
Mark Consuelos – Actor, All My Children
Brian Dunseth – Media, Fox Soccer Channel, 2000 Olympic Team Captain
LZ Granderson – Media, ESPN
C Thomas Howell – Actor
Joy Fawcett – US Soccer Icon
Cobi Jones – US Soccer Icon, LA Galaxy Coach
Danny Califf – Athlete, US Men’s National Team
Image via RealOne
