Once again, local soccer enthusiasts step up for Kenyan community center

The South Valley Community Church and Lemoore High School Girls’ Soccer Coach Janet Brown put on the second annual “Kicking for Kenya” event Saturday at the Lemoore Youth Sports Complex.

A bunch of youngsters and parents took part in Saturday’s event as they played soccer and raised money. Last year’s event raised over $3,000 for the Furaha Community Center in Nairobi. Once again, about 120 youngsters on Saturday helped raise over $3,000, all of which will go to soccer equipment for the community center. "There were a lot of volunteers and a lot of folks stepping up and helping," said Brown who visited the community center last September as a member of the South Valley Church, along with its pastor, Jeff Christiansen. "It was great and it was beautiful," said Brown of Saturday's event.

Brown said a team visits the Kenya every few months to hand out equipment and supplies. "I went to Kenya last September and visited and spent nine days there. I got to visit the school and meet the kids - and they started kicking the soccer balls immediately."

Brown said just as soon as they pumped up the balls, they were snatched from their hands. "They had been playing with just one ragged ball."

Brown said it was an experience she won't soon forget. "It was the coolest thing." 

The local church supports the Kenyan community center. While they have other basic needs such as food and safe living conditions, they also need the finer things in life, like sports equipment, which include soccer balls, a popular sport in the African country. (Photos by Bill Burris, Photography for Kings County)