"I can't help but dream of how we can welcome more people to do this life-changing work thru this surprise honor," said Huber.
Grand Rapids, MI (PRWEB) July 11, 2014
Major League Soccer's community outreach initiative has selected Chip Huber, director of student engagement at Cornerstone University, as one of 19 selected across the country to represent an MLS team to vie for a $10,000 prize to the charity of their choice.
Each of the 19 representatives were nominated and selected based on their initiatives to connect soccer with making a difference in their community and beyond.
Dedicated to the fight against malaria, Huber initiated an event in 2009 with Cornerstone University Men's Soccer team called "Night of Nets."
The goal of the initial event was to raise awareness and funds for the purchase of malaria bed nets for communities in Sub-Saharan Africa. In the past five years, Huber has continued to engage the men’s soccer program at Cornerstone University with an annual fundraiser, which has since collected a total of $60,000 and 10,000 bed nets.
He has successfully incorporated outreach initiatives with three additional college soccer programs, numerous high school soccer teams and a variety of other sporting teams and groups.
The past three years Huber has taken members of the Cornerstone Men's soccer team to Ndola, Zambia, a small African community to help deliver bed nets. In Ndola, the group connected with the Ndola Youth Soccer Academy and the Jubilee Center to help distribute the bed nets to families in need. Chip’s efforts to help the Ndola community in the fight against malaria, has had a huge impact on the Cornerstone campus, becoming the biggest student event of the year.
Huber, who was selected to represent the MLS team Chicago Fire, will be doing the first kick next weekend and have an opportunity to share about "Night of Nets."
A Grand Prize winner will selected by the country via "votes" over the next two weeks. The winner will be able to tell about their initiative and attend the MLS All-Star Game and will receive $10,000 for their cause.
"That would provide close to 1700 families with a bed net in Zambia!," said Huber. "So I need you to vote and then spread the word like crazy and invite people to cast their vote for me and support Night of Nets...it's an awesome chance to grow our platform as we share the love of Jesus through our Night of Nets initiative."
To vote, log on to http://www.mlssoccer.com/mlsworks/community-mvp/vote beginning July 11-25 and register by filling out the required fields and submitting your vote.
"I can't help but dream of how we can welcome more people to do this life-changing work thru this surprise honor," said Huber.
For more information about how to participate in Night of Nets this year, visit http://www.cornerstone.edu/student-life.