Uniting for a good cause
When Juan Diego and Judge Memorial get together on the soccer field, it has made for plenty of classic moments. If you need any evidence, look no further than last year’s 3A title game. The Bulldogs capped a Cinderella run to a 3A championship by upending the heavily favored Soaring Eagle.
But, for the first time in several years, Judge and Juan Diego will forego their traditional rivalry match ‘ all in the name of a good cause.
This evening, the two 3A schools will host a fundraiser to help Marcia Williams, the wife of Real Salt Lake midfielder Andy Williams, who is battling with leukemia. The event is also being spearheaded by Soccer Unites Utah ‘ a non-profit group formed by RSL players, coaches, front office staff, former RSL players and several season ticket holders to help with fundraising efforts for the Williams family.
Tonight’s event will feature three exhibition games. The first 20-minute game will pit boys’ teams from Judge and Juan Diego ‘ each coached by its rival girls’ team. The second 25-minute game will pit the Judge girls’ against the Juan Diego girls’ team, with the team who sold the most tickets being coached by RSL coach Jason Kreis personally. The third and final 20-minute game ‘ a ‘celebrity’ match ‘ will feature local celebrities and sportscasters going against RSL reserve players.
‘I’m extremely happy to be able to give back in some small way,’ Kreis said of his involvement in the charity event. ‘I really would do anything necessary because I consider Andy Williams as part of my family. I think that everybody that is a part of our team feels the exact same way.’
The outpouring of support he and his wife have received since her diagnosis in July has touched Andy Williams. Marcia Williams is waiting to start on chemotherapy until a donor match for a bone marrow transplant can be found. The good thing is that her cancer is currently stable and has not grown even more serious.
The funds raised at tonight’s fundraiser will help defray some of the extensive costs associated with those upcoming cancer treatments.
‘Words can’t explain how we feel,’ Andy Williams said. ‘We’re just privileged that everybody is kind of helping us and looking out for us and chipping in wherever they can. I don’t think it would happen anywhere else. There has to be a special reason why I came here.’
The event will kick off at 6 p.m. at Juan Diego High School. Entry is $5.00. Raffle tickets will be sold at the entrance and RSL players will also give out prizes before the game. Food at the event has been donated by Chick-Fil-A.
All proceeds from the event will go to the fund Soccer Unites Utah has set up for the Williams family.