BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Feb. 12, 2015–BelCare Football Youth Academy, despite the name similarity with the electricity company’s bill heading “BEL-Care,” is a completely different “ball game.”

While the bill collector has a job to do in receiving payment for BEL electricity services rendered to consumers, BelCare is all about giving to the Belizean youth community. That’s because, as stated in its release last week, “BelCare Football Youth Academy (BelCare) is a non-profit/social enterprise organization that uses the power of football to educate, inspire, and empower young people to lead meaningful lives.”

There have been a number of football academies in Belize over the years, but on occasions the term has been used somewhat loosely. Indications are that this new organization, BelCare Youth Football Academy, intends to raise the standard to another level not seen before in Belize. Its no-nonsense visionary architect, Belizean born Michael Lindo, who arrives in Belize from New Jersey next Friday, is adamant that the organization be unbridled by any local special interest, and emphasizes that in this endeavor BelCare is representing “One World Football” and “Playing It Forward” as international donors and sponsors providing the footballs/equipment which will be distributed next week.

Working in partnership with Adventures Football Club in San Ignacio and the Umadagu Football Club in Dangriga, BelCare will be holding Grassroots Football Festivals next weekend, in San Ignacio on Saturday, February 21, and in Dangriga on Sunday, February 22. At each Festival, which should run from 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. each day, over a dozen youth football clubs and organizations from across the districts, Cayo and Stann Creek, are expected to participate and be the recipients of footballs and equipment garnered by BelCare through its international partners.

Parents are encouraged to accompany their children at the Festivals.