Collection efforts are part of the Tampa Catholic Boys Soccer Preseason Invitational being held on Nov. 5 and 7
TAMPA, Fla., (October 31, 2018) — Two local high school seniors are spearheading an effort to raise awareness for Replay Tampa Bay, a nonprofit organization that collects both new and gently used sporting goods to help keep children active and “in the game.”
Dominick Coniglio and Jackson Eckley are the Senior Captains of the Tampa Catholic High School Soccer team. With the fall season on the horizon, the boys decided to organize a donation to Replay Tampa Bay to help children who do not have the proper or required sporting equipment for certain athletic activities.
Both Coniglio and Eckley are executive members of the spirit club at Tampa Catholic. They also are members of Seniors Helping All Peers Excel (S.H.A.P.E.), which is a big brother/sister program providing mentorship to underclassmen. Moreover, both are members of Think Pink, which focuses on organizing fundraising events for breast cancer awareness.
“There are so many people in this world who do not have the same opportunities as us. We thought that this donation would be the perfect way to give back to those less fortunate than ourselves,” said Eckley.
This donation event will take place the first week of November at the Tampa Catholic Boys Soccer Preseason Invitational. Tampa Catholic High School will host four varsity games at their field, located at 4603 N. Rome Ave, Tampa, FL 33603. Teams will compete in two games held on November 5, and two more will follow on November 7.
“My entire family grew up playing soccer. The camaraderie of this sport is what has inspired me to keep playing. It’s a feeling of closeness and connection that is very special. We want to spread this feeling out into the community by bringing people together to support a great charity,” said Coniglio.
All members of the community are invited to help support this benevolent cause. Tickets to the Invitational are $5 per adult, while children under the age of 10 will receive free admission. Free entry will also be available to anyone who contributes a new or gently used item of sporting equipment to Replay Tampa Bay.
Collection bins will be available at the front gate of each varsity game.
“We are thrilled to partner with Tampa Catholic and are honored to have Replay Tampa Bay named the charitable beneficiary for their upcoming soccer invitational,” said Tampa Bay Sports Commission Director of Special Events, Claire Lessinger. “Keeping Kids in the Game is more than a mantra for this community impact initiative. Replay Tampa Bay provides a philanthropic platform helping to get new and gently used sporting goods in the hands of kids in need. We are beyond proud to see this program elevate and bleed into our local schools and athletic programs, where on-site sporting good drives are creating a ‘kids helping kids’ environment. Thank you to Tampa Catholic for supporting a great cause and giving back to our community.”
On Monday, November 5, Carrollwood Day School will play Robinson High School at 6 p.m. Tampa Catholic High School will face Sickles High School at 7:30 p.m.
On Wednesday, November 7, Sickles High School will compete against Carrollwood Day School at 6 p.m. The final game will feature Tampa Catholic High School versus Robinson High School at 7:30 p.m. For each game, the home team has been listed first.
Sponsors of this preseason invitational include BB&T, Tampa Bay Sports Commission and HCP.
Initiated in 2011, Replay Tampa Bay emerged as an annual sporting goods drive to collect sporting goods for underprivileged children. Over 3,000 articles have been collected and distributed to local kids since its inception. In March of 2014, Replay Tampa Bay officially became a year-round donation program.
For more information about Replay Tampa Bay and local donation centers, visit tampabaysports.org/ReplayTampaBay.
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