BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Mar. 26, 2015–Earlier this month, the Belcare Football Youth Academy held two more Grassroots Football Festivals, one in Belize City in conjunction with Stars Football Summer Camp under coordinator Stanley Jordan Reneau, and the other in Belmopan in conjunction with the Belmopan Football Committee, headed by Mr. Amilcar Umana.
BelCare in Belize City
In Belize City, the BelCare Grassroots Football Festival took place on Sunday, March 8, at the MCC Grounds, beginning at 12:30 p.m., and saw hundreds of “Chevrolet One World Football Project” footballs distributed to 4 summer camp organizations, 10 SMART Mundialito teams, as well as a number of other community sports groupings. Later, footballs were also to be issued to primary and secondary schools, and a few other community sports groupings.
Receiving footballs at the Grassroots Festival at MCC were: Future Summer Camp (coordinator Edon “Yellow Man” Rowley) – 20 balls; Third World Summer Camp (coordinator Dion Flowers) – 20 balls; Stars Summer Camp (coordinator Stanley “Jordan” Reneau) – 20 balls; Rising Stars Summer Camp (coordinator Daniel Smith) – 10 balls; and 5 balls each to 10 Smart 13 & Under Mundialito teams – Brown Bombers, London Strikers, Third World, Complex Bombers, City Boys, Rising Stars, Mahogany Heights, Collet Strikers, Ladyville Jaguars, and Hattieville FC. In addition Jordan said he gave 28 footballs to SSSA President Deon Sutherland for distribution of 2 balls each to 14 high schools. Jordan has himself already delivered 2 footballs to Seventh Day Adventist primary school, and will deliver 2 footballs each to 28 more primary schools in the Belize District.
Other community sports activists received footballs for different areas of Belize City and District. Jerome “Peeloff” Meheia received 5 footballs for Yabra; Ms. Helen Flowers received 5 footballs for Millennium female team; Carlos Lino received 3 footballs on behalf of Henry “Pulu” Gillett for Pinks Alley; Sebastian “Sabe” Nunez, Jr. got 3 balls for Lovely Lane; Herman Gentle and Michael “Chicken” Cacho got 3 balls for Ebony Lake; Jahron Myvette got 3 balls for North Front Street; Lily White (Edward Charles Rubio) got 3 balls for his youth program; Richard Gordon got 3 balls for Burrell Boom; Bernard “Dubu” Thomas got 3 balls for Albert Hoy Field; Michael Hernandez got 3 balls for West Lake; Stephen Lemoine got 2 balls for Kelly Street; and 3 balls each have been set aside for Jane Usher and Cumberbach field team organizers, as well as to Vincent “Winty J” Johnson of Mahogany Heights.
BelCare in Belmopan
The BelCare Grassroots Football Festival for Belmopan was held on Saturday, March 14, at the Devon Beaton Park, in conjunction with the lead organization Belmopan Football Committee, headed by Amilcar Umana. BelCare President, Dean Flowers was in attendance to witness the distribution of footballs, and reported that the Festival was a success.
Mr. Umana said, “The festival was indeed a success and the kids, coaches and committee are very much excited. The efforts of sponsors and lead persons will certainly not go unnoticed. We are certainly looking forward to a long working relation as we assist kids and develop the love and passion for the sport.”
From the list provided by Umana, a total of some 220 footballs were to be distributed among various clubs, which included U-13, U-15, U-18 and Female teams. Receiving footballs at the Festival on behalf of their respective clubs were: Ivor Zuniga – 25 balls (Piccini – U-13, U-15, U-18 and Female); Pedro Medina – 25 balls (San Martin – U-13, U-15, U-18 and Female); Derrick Gordon – 20 balls (Mountain View – U-13, U-15 and U-18); Boris Dominguez – 25 balls (Las Flores – U-13, U-15, U-18 and Female); Maria Linares – 20 balls (Armenia – U-13, U-15 and U-18); Alexander Shal – 10 balls (Police Cadets – U-13 only); Hector Martinez – 15 balls (Salvapan – U-13 & U-15); Santiago Valencia – 20 balls (YWAM – U-13, U-15 & U-18);
Brayan Paz – 5 balls, (Compre – Female only); and Amilcar Umana – 30 balls ,(Committee – U-13 & U-15). 25 balls were also put aside for Central Site (U-13, U-15, U-18 and Female).
OW and Corozal Festivals
The BelCare Football Youth Academy plans to complete its sweep of the country with two more showers of footballs at Grassroots Football Festivals planned for Orange Walk and Corozal on April 11 and 12, respectively.