“Benefit Soccer Sunday” Event Planned to Assist Victims of the Anderson Street Apartment House Fire 

On Sunday May 5, 2002, at 1:00 p.m., the Felician College Golden Falcons Soccer Team, in conjunction with the New Jersey Stallions Pro Soccer Team and the Hackensack Junior Soccer Association, will sponsor “Benefit Soccer Sunday” to aid the victims of the April 7 Anderson Street apartment house fire that displaced 200 people and left most of the residents homeless and poor.  “Benefit Soccer Sunday” will take place at Hackensack High School located at First and Beech Streets in Hackensack, NJ.  Admission to the event will be $5.00 per adult and $3.00 per child 12 yrs. of age or younger. 

Intended to serve as a community focal point with broad appeal to the greater Hackensack community, “Benefit Soccer Sunday” will rally support for the victims of this tragedy, many of whom were Ecuadorian immigrants who lost all their belongings in the fire and are without insurance to cover their losses.  The highlighted match will pit the NJ Stallions Pro Soccer Team (the Division 3 satellite team of the NY/NJ Metro Stars of Major League Soccer) against the Golden Falcons of Felician College of Lodi / Rutherford, NJ (2001 and 2002 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference and NAIA Region 10 Champions).  With community dignitaries and celebrities on hand to show their support, the day will also feature many soccer activities, including free youth pro soccer clinics and exhibition soccer matches.  During the day, local merchants will sell food, beverages, and assorted goods, donating a portion of their revenues, and music to satisfy all tastes will be played.  All proceeds collected from event admissions (and donations from the community) will be deposited into an account established for the fire victims by the Hackensack Police Department. 

The Stallions will leverage their soccer talents and celebrity to benefit the fire victims while looking to use this match as a “tune-up” to their 2002 season home opener vs. the South Jersey Barons on Saturday, May 11, at 7:30 p.m. at Memorial Stadium in New Brunswick, NJ.  The Felician College soccer team’s participation in this benefit exhibition match is just one of many community outreach activities that Felician College students participate in each year as part of the curriculum’s community-based service learning component that is a hallmark of the educational experience at the Franciscan-based Catholic college.  “Given the teams’ proximity to the Hackensack fire tragedy, the match will take on special meaning for both the Golden Falcons and the New Jersey Stallions,” said Dennis Huzey, a Felician College instructor who helped to organize the event. “Both teams have highly talented rosters including several standout Hispanic players who are especially proud to serve their community in this time of need,” added Huzey.