PURPOSE
The REACH (Rush Equipment Assisting Children) program is designed to share love and compassion with marginalized youth in Third World countries by providing youth soccer clubs, schools, and villages with soccer uniforms and equipment. Furthermore, REACH strives to be advocates of community development by enriching the lives of youth through service, soccer, and education.
REACH HISTORY
Over the past few years, Rush has delivered tens of thousands of pieces of equipment to countries like Iraq, Afghanistan, South Africa, Mexico, Thailand, etc. Future sites include Mali, Ghana, Kenya, and Haiti.
REACH PARTNERS
The REACH program has been featured on CBS, ABC and "Good Morning America". Gen. David Petraeus of the United States Army has personally shared with the Rush the Army's desire for the REACH program to continue. Gen. Petraeus values the humanitarian aspect as well as the fact that the negative stigma diminishes when the U.S. troops are viewed as gift givers in conflict territories. Other partners include America One (foundation of musician and humanitarian Bono) Eurosport, TRIAD and more.
WHATS NEXT?
The REACH program is still being under-utilized. With such a large membership, Rush Soccer has a responsibility to use our numbers to spread this program to all of our Rush partners. With the full support of Rush clubs across the nation, there is no end to the amount of good we can do for the less fortunate. Rush Soccer has requested that each Rush partner club have a representative to serve as REACH Volunteer Coordinator or RVC. The RVCs will collect equipment within your community and eventually ship the collection first to a site in the U.S. for inventory, then to Rush headquarters, then to communities in need within the United States and abroad.
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
As you buy your new uniform, please consider turning in your old uniform for a $20 credit! It is as simple as this: When you order your new uniform through your team manager, bring in your old uniform. The team manager will keep track of which players turned in their used uniform for the $20 credit. The Rush management team will then ship these uniforms to our clubs in Africa.
FOR MORE INFORAMTION
Contact your team manager for more details on the REACH program and for information about collecting your $20 credit for turning in your old uniform.