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Local U11 soccer team raises $2,750 for Pemberton Food Bank

Area businesses Murphy Construction, JT Heavy Equipment Repair and Wire-It Electrical donated to the cause
pysa-u11-rapids-2024
The 2024 Pemberton Youth Soccer Association U11 Rapids.

Soccer is known as the beautiful game, and few things are more beautiful than youngsters uniting to serve a cause greater than themselves. 

The Pemberton Youth Soccer Association (PYSA) U11 boys squad, also known as the Rapids, set out earlier this fall to raise $1 for the Pemberton Food Bank for every goal scored during their quartet of games.

Players' families joined in to match the donations dollar-for-dollar, raising $1,000. News of the undertaking reached PYSA coach and Murphy Construction owner Graham Murphy, who invited the team to his office to learn more about why they wished to support the Food Bank. 

One young athlete is quoted in a press release as saying: "Some people need a little extra help right now. They need food to live their life and be healthy." 

Murphy matched their donation, remarking: "Soccer is a lifelong sport. You're making amazing friendships and playing a sport you love, but this is what's important." 

With further contributions by local businesses JT Heavy Equipment Repair and Wire-It Electrical, the grand total rose to $2,750. 

“This initiative has gained more momentum than we ever imagined,” said a PYSA spokesperson in a release. “It’s a testament to the power of teamwork, compassion, and community support.”

'The more we invest in the community, the better it is'

Pemberton resident Victoria Watson, whose son plays for the Rapids, took up a central role in organizing the fundraiser. 

"I wanted to create a charitable element to the kids playing, and some awareness for our little players," she explained. "I think the Food Bank is a great way because food is, of course, something that's very understandable for children. We didn't really expect that the boys would achieve a goal count of 27 … and I think the initiative applied some additional healthy pressure for the kids. 

"People want to donate to the Food Bank, but they may feel that donating $20 independently isn't significant enough. With a group of people, $20 times 20 families is a lot of food." 

The Rapids played their fundraising matches in October and November. They haven't had a lot of exposure to playing teams outside the Sea to Sky, but excitement for their common mission dampened any sense of intimidation that might otherwise have been present. Of course the boys wanted to win—any group of kids does—but they also cared about how many times they were putting the ball in the net. 

"It created nice discussion on the way down to the games and on the way home," remembered Watson. "All of the kids were constantly like: '[how many goals] are we at?' and I think it improved their overall game. They were passing better, behaving more like a team. They were playing different positions than they normally would to fill gaps. Family and friends were showing up to games on the North Shore and donating to the Food Bank as well."

She continues: "The more we invest in the community, the better it is, and talking to kids about community at a young age is important. I think the more secure their community feels, the more harmonious our children will feel as they grow up because nobody's getting left behind. It's so important to look out for one another and know that if there's a time where [my family and I] need help in the future, we've done everything we can to pay it forward." 

According to an email from the Sea to Sky Community Services Society (SCSS), the Pemberton Food Bank provided meals to nearly 1,300 individuals in 2023. Over the past five years it has served 1,828 households, 1,048 children, and facilitated 40,149 visits.

To donate or learn more, visit sscs.ca/pemberton-food-bank