NYFEST, in partnership with the Tribeca Film Festival will bring a day of soccer and special events to downtown New York with your favorite sports and entertainment celebrities. There will be lots of activities – watch entertainment industry pros battle it out during the 5-Aside Tournament, bring your kids to the Youth Soccer Showcase for competitions, drills and pointers, and be entertained by celebs as they go head to head in the highly anticipated celebrity match. Any way you slice it, NYFEST is a day of soccer and fun for the whole family. So come on out for the ultimate taste of soccer and NYC in the spring! It’s free and open to the public with all proceeds going to charity. (content provided by NYFest)

Watch footage with a shout out from Jimmy Conrad to “The Big Cat, Tony Sanneh”.

Photo Credit to Michael Loccisano/Getty Images North America
Chef Marcus Samuelsson and soccer player Tony Sanneh participate in the Tribeca/NYFEST Soccer Day – Celebrity Match during the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival at the Pier 40 on April 21, 2012 in New York City. See more photos on Zimbio

In partnering with Coach Across America (CAA) and AmeriCorps, The Sanneh foundation is recruiting and hiring full-time AmeriCorps Members to become DreamLine Corp members who will serve as coaches, mentors, tutors to low-income students during a year-round services.

The Sanneh Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded in 2003 with mission to use the power and appeal of sports, especially soccer, to unite diverse communities and help at risk youth develop into leaders and experience academic and life success.

Using soccer as organizing vehicle, the goals of the Foundation are to: 1) improve educational performance and social skills of at-risk youth through mentoring, afterschool programming and college preparatory training; 2) Promote healthy physical fitness by providing them with instructional soccer and interactive games.  3) Advance diversity and address racism through institutional change and training. The Foundation’ s partners are local schools and community centers.

AmeriCorps Member Position Announcement

POSITION TYPE: Full Time (1700 hours)

LIVING ALLOWANCE: $13,000*

SERVICE FOCUS: Tutoring & Mentoring & Coaching

TARGET POPULATION: Children & Youth from Low-Income Families

EDUCATION AWARD: $5,350.00

HEALTHCARE? YES

CHILDCARE ASSISTANCE? YES
PERIOD: July 30 , 2012 —July 30, 2013

*The LIVING ALLOWANCE is not a salary; is taxed; is distributed in even amounts throughout the 12 months (not connected to the number of hours served per pay period); will be paid at least twice monthly at the normal interval of the Host-site.

Being on a team has taught you determination, leadership and the importance of making healthy decisions. Now it’s your turn to lead the team. It’s your time to coach.

Make this your year to serve, to learn, and to make a difference.

To apply: Submit to jeanpaul@thesannehfoundation.org:

 A Resume: Including 3 references.

A Letter of Intent: Indicate the following:

• Why do you want to become a AmeriCorps
• What do you expect to get out of this experience?
• Describe your personal best leadership experience

===============================================================

Mailing Address: 1511 Grand Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55105

www.thesannehfoundation.org   | Phone: 651-690-4855

Print: Job Announcement For AmeriCorps Members

The third Annual Celebrate Foster Families with the Minnesota Stars FC promises fun for the whole family on May 5 at the National Sports Center in Blaine, Minn. Activities will include:

• 4:45-5:15 p.m.: Check in, raffle sign up
• 5:30-6:15 p.m.: Picnic with complimentary hot dogs, chips and drinks, and face painting
• 6:15-7:15 p.m.: Free soccer clinic for youth with world class soccer player Tony Sanneh, founder and executive director of The Sanneh Foundation, and healthy snack
• 7:30 p.m.: Minnesota Stars vs. Atlanta Silverbacks

Throughout the event, county foster care experts will be on hand at information tables to answer questions and distribute information to those interested in becoming foster parents. More information about becoming a foster parent is also available from county social service agencies or the Minnesota Department of Human Services website.

May is Foster Care Month – Press Release

Families help launch Foster Care Month at MN Stars soccer match

The Urban Soccer Symposium hosted urban soccer programmers and speakers from across the nation who are dedicated to improving the field of sports-based youth development. The program included Juergen Griesbeck who has dedicated his life to using soccer as a tool for positive social change. He started Football for Peace in Medellin, Colombia, which brought thousands of local youth together in troubled areas of the city. Bringing this concept back to his native Germany, he founded Football for Tolerance. Griesbeck’s efforts to unite and foster change through football led him to establish the streetfootballworld network in 2004.

Breakout sessions included:

• Peace and Leadership Curriculum: A New Way to Talk about Conflict. Brian Cognato, Technical Assistance Program Director, PeacePlayers International
• Good Game! How Youth Sports can Empower Young People to Engage in Social Action. Ellie Cox, Senior Consultant, Athletes for Hope
• Becoming an Evidence-Based Program 101. Kristin A. Moore, PhD, Senior Scholar, Child Trends. Zakia Redd, M.P.P., Senior Research Scientist, Child Trends

The week also featured motivational speeches from keynote speakers, including two-time Olympic Gold medalist, Angela Hucles and Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives at the White House, Sam Kass.. The Symposium featured three days of interactive workshops focused on sharing best practices and maximizing organizations’ impact in the community. The fourth and final day of the Symposium is Capitol Hill Day, in which attendees go on Capitol Hill to meet with government officials to discuss how soccer is positively impacting children in their communities.

For a photo recap of the 2012 Urban Soccer Symposium, click here!

US Soccer Foundation

Katie is a first year student-athlete at Concordia University, Saint Paul.  She grew up in small town in Idaho and moved to Minnesota to pursue a Biology and Chemistry Degree and participate in Division 2 Track and Soccer. Her assistant soccer coach Ben Gaddis offered her an opportunity to volunteer at the Sanneh Foundation to fulfill her requirements for Concordia University’s Honors program.

Katie has helped design a leadership curriculum, worked in the office, and helped at the annual Gala 4 Goals. She says “I have loved my time working at this organization and getting to know the individuals who make the Sanneh Foundation possible.”

Thanks Katie for all of your hard work we really appreciate you!

Chapters in: Johnson High School, Harding High School, Tartan High School (Ramsey County) and Henry Sibley High School (Dakota County)

By Carmen Robles, Program Director

During the 2010-2011 school year Carissa Ontiveros then a senior at Johnson HS, started the Jóvenes de Salud chapter at the school as her graduating class project. When the snow melted last April, 2011 a group of students she recruited for the program headed to Phalen Park to pick up tobacco litter for a project we were working on. Our nutritionist Lisa Marshal from Ramsey County Public Health, a former soccer mom happened to have a soccer ball in the trunk of her car. She threw it to the group to kick around. That was the start of our soccer fever!

Since then we have been using soccer at the tool to engage youth, support academic goals and keep them moving to help address obesity and proper nutrition. But it wasn’t until The Sanneh Foundation sent us Coach Ben Gaddis that the team really began to come together.

It’s only been three months and already our raggedy band of players is turning into a well-oiled soccer machine. From acquiring a gym to play indoor soccer, to getting us shoes, to coordinating transportation to the Paul and Shiela Wellstone Center-Neighborhood House Program to play with a diverse team made up of Hmong and Somali youth, has given Jóvenes de Salud Soccer Team a sense of empowerment that translate into making healthy choices.

Through the game of soccer, youth who otherwise would be concentrating on unhealthy behavior, come together as one! In this short amount of time negative, potential violent behavior has been reduced significantly, I believe it has been pretty much eradicated! There is no racial tension, no bullying. Just kids, both boys and girls, coming together for the sheer joy of soccer. Under the guidance of Ben Gaddis, the Jóvenes de Salud members are growing into peer-mentors and just plain good citizens! GRACIAS!!!

IMS is honored to again be a supporter of this year’s Gala 4 Goals, a Benefit Event forThe Sanneh Foundation with a Silent Auction and The Sanneh Foundation Lifetime Achievement Awards.

Last year’s Gala 4 Goals was the social soccer event of the year in Minnesota and the upper midwest with nearly 650 in attendance. This year’s event is planed for The Depot in Minneapolis with television personality and former professional player Temryss Lane serving as distinguished guest host. The event will take place on Saturday, March 24 at 6 p.m. Tickets for the event are on sale now at gala4goals.com. Special guest US Women’s National Team player Leslie Osborne will speak as will Danielle Slaton. Local Minnesota soccer legends and pioneers Alan Merrick and Phil Johnson will be presented with the Sanneh Foundation Lifetime Achievement Awards.

This very special formal evening will include fabulous appetizers, complimentary wine and beer and a silent auction with unique soccer items and experiences. Dancing to the sounds of DJ Jake Rudh will follow presentations of The Sanneh Foundation Lifetime Achievement Awards and High School Leadership scholarship awards.

Leslie Osborne has an extensive playing career both professionally and with the Women’s National Team where she made 61 appearances. She was a member of the U.S. team that won the 2002 FIFA Under-19 Women’s World Championship. As a senior at Santa Clara University, Osborne won the NCAA’s prestigious Honda Award as the nation’s top female athlete in her sport. She has been playing professionally for seven years.

Danielle Slaton played soccer for the US Women’s National Team for 5 years (2000-2005), earning a silver medal in the Olympics and a bronze in the World Cup. She played professionally in the WUSA, where she won a championship with the Carolina Courage and was the league defender of the year in 2002. Slaton played professionally in Lyon, France, and played college soccer at Santa Clara University where she was named the 2001 NCAA Scholar Athlete of the Year. Danielle currently works in education and in student-athlete leadership development. She is also an ambassador for US Soccer.

Temryss Lane will co-host this year’s Gala 4 Goals. Professional soccer player and fitness model turned TV host, she’s currently an on-air personality on Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports Network. As a lifetime soccer player, the transition from player to sports broadcaster was a natural one. Lane played at Arizona State and was named to the U-23 US National Team as the co-captain.

Read More Here

Katy Fellman is a senior at Saint Paul Academy and will be doing her senior project as an intern with The Sanneh Foundation for the month of May.

We are excited to have her on board and are really looking froward to her internship. Prior to that Katy has been volunteering helping with the Gala. Katy is very bright and has helped The Sanneh Foundation immensely with her volunteer work this month with more than 25 hours that she has put in.

Thanks Katy for all of your hard work we really appreciate you!

(Penang, 21) – 2002 World Cup U.S. team player Tony Sanneh transformed into U.S. Sports Ambassador, enjoys traveling around the world and actively promote the sport, guiding more young people to become successful soccer player.

Sanneh arrived in Malaysia on Monday (19th) and will stay until the 24th, along with the U.S. Sports Ambassador team. Penang is the first stop for the American sports envoys in Malaysia, followed by Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday. In this trip, the U.S. Sports Ambassador team will exchange with local soccer organizations, as well as providing basic soccer training to selected schools. A total of about 40 players from different soccer organizations attended the soccer training in Penang Island Municipal Council Stadium on Tuesday evening.

Stay in Malaysia for six days
The U.S. Sports Ambassador team to Malaysia is made up of four members: on top of Sanneh, they are five-year member of the U.S. National Team from 2000-05, Danielle Slaton, the former General Manager of the U.S. Women’s National Team, Cheryl Bailey, and Public Affairs Officer of the U.S. Embassy in Kuala Lumpur Scott Rauland.

Sanneh was born in 1971, and played for the United States National Team on international competition in 1997 for the first time, made 43 appearances for the United States National Team, including winning two CONCACAF Gold Cup titles (2002, 2005). He was one of three U.S. players to play every minute of every game in the 2002 World Cup in Korea/Japan, earning Man of the Match honors for his sterling performance in the 1-0 quarterfinal loss to eventual runners up Germany. Tony played for teams in the German Bundesliga from 1999 to 2004 and finished his playing career in the MLS, most recently with the LA Galaxy.

Willing to share soccer experience
Aged 41, Sanneh said that despite he has stopped his playing career, he is still keen on soccer, and has obtained the USSF license to become a coach. He said: “A year ago, the U.S. Embassy invited me to join its team of sports master, and I thought to myself this would be a meaningful and I could share my own experiences with young people nowadays, why not?” Since then, Sanneh has taken on a new role – United States Sports Ambassador.

He said that this is his first visit to Malaysia as a United States Sports Ambassador, and he is also excited about the love for soccer among local young players in Penang. He said that, from a day of contact with participating schools, the players have shown their willingness to learn and this is very important. He also found that Penang has a lot of good seed, and we will definitely see the results if they are properly cultivated.

Optimistic about Spain defending the European cup
In response to the European Cup in coming July this year, Sanneh believed it is highly likely that Spain will defend the title; but of course, facing tough competition from last year’s World Cup runner-up Holland and Germany, as well as Italy, France and England, which also stand a chance to win.

RELATED ARTICLES

• A Kick For Women
• Men’s and Women’s team soccer veterans interact with local youth

(Penang) Soccer, a less popular game in the U.S. in the past, is now gaining popularity among young Americans, which numbers are surpassing the Chinese and Indian, plus the U.S. men and women’s national soccer teams have achieved outstanding performance in the international arena, for example the U.S. women’s national soccer team won the gold medal in the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

Team manager of the Olympic-winning women’s national soccer team Cheryl Bailey led U.S. men’s and women’s soccer team veterans Tony Sanneh and Danielle Slaton on a U.S. Sport Ambassadors’ Tour to Malaysia, to engage youths in Malaysia and Penang, through sport clinics, school visits and interactions with students.

Scott Rauland, Public Affairs Officer from the U.S. Embassy Kuala Lumpur yesterday (20th) led the team of sport ambassadors to conduct a sport clinic for students at the Francis Light Primary School.

In an interview with Sin Chew Daily, he said football, basketball, softball and golf are popular sports in the U.S., but the main participants are adults and more commercial in nature, but soccer is becoming more popular, especially among young people.

He pointed out, in the past 15 years, the U.S. women’s national soccer team has become one of the strongest soccer teams internationally, having won gold medal in the Beijing Olympic Games and runner-up in the Women’s World Cup held in Germany last year with outstanding performance.

He said the men’s national soccer team also performed well, and have several times made it to the World Cup semi-finals, although had never reached the finals.

In addition, he said, each year the U.S. would send outstanding athletes for sports exchanges to overseas countries, aimed at promoting physical education. This time, the country sent soccer players to Malaysia and Penang for sports exchanges with local young people, organizing sport clinics among others, to explore local sports talent. Perhaps the next time the U.S. would send a team of basketball players to visit Malaysia.

Tony Sanneh was especially delighted to reconnect with the team that the Initiative brought to Minnesota to compete in 2010 USA Cup. “It was great coaching the kids that came to Minnesota again and seeing how they’ve grown and developed,” he said. “It is good when kids want to see you, when they want you to come back, and when they want to work with you. It was beautiful.”

This trip also focused on sustaining relationships made with youth from previous trips, creating new relationships with other communities and networking with existing and potential partners for the Haitian Initiative. The Sanneh Foundation has been the leading partner in the Haitian Initiative since its inception in March 2010.

At the end of the article is a list of partners for the February 2012 Haitian Initiative visit. The Sanneh Foundation is pleased with the amount of youth that were reached, but also realizes that there is much that needs to be done. We look forward to future trips to Haiti where we can continue our work of youth development through soccer.

Thank you for your continued support in this endeavor.

The Sanneh Foundation
Our Partners:
HotFutbol- John & Elena Evans; James Sinkoff
The Eddie Pope Foundation- Karen Pope
Soccer in the Streets- Jill Robbins
GOALS- Kona Shen
Passing Hope- Christopher Campasano
Healing Haiti

Danielle Slaton and Tony Sanneh have travelled as Sports Envoys to Malaysia. Former General Manager of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT), Cheryl Bailey, joined on this trip as the first Sports Administrator to focus on girls’ sports program administration.

Read the full article on the U.S Department of State website

See Photos of the U.S. Sports Envoys in Penang

The mission of the night was “to create a fun, feel-good event that offers charity-minded men and women the opportunity to meet and make a difference through raising money to find a cure for childhood cancer”.

Tony’s date package consisted of a double date with his promoter, Christian, and a friend of the bidders.  The date started with dinner at the Downtowner, box seats at the Minnesota Wild, and two VIP tickets to the Sanneh Foundation Gala4Goals meet and greet March 24th at the Minneapolis Depot.

Photo Copyright © 2011 Bill Snellman

Bill Snellman Photography – photos are available for viewing and download on Facebook

Photos in Minnesota Monthly on Facebook

Erica Loeks Photography – photos are available for viewing and purchase (proceeds benefiting CCRF)

Mariah Crandall Photography – photos are available for viewing and purchase (proceeds benefiting CCRF)

Approaching Day 5 of our #HaitianIniative Trip, and all I can say is that this trip has been an eye-opener. I can relate the circumstances out here in Port-Au-Prince to my homeland of the Philippines, from the Tap-taps, which we call Jeepneys, to the lack of hot water, where we would have to boil water in a tub, and use buckets to wash ourselves, and even to the poor road conditions, and intense traffic. Despite the lack of resources here to help the communities, there is a sense of genuine hope that is shared amongst the people here. Haitians remain to be strong and in good spirits with a sense of pride. Even the youngest children can sense if a promise is genuine or not. And that strength keeps them going, no matter what the circumstances. This is a life lesson to be learned…

- Brian de Leon aka DJ GETLIVE!

We got going and during the drive, I saw a lot of old places and was quite surprised by the amount of grass I saw. On my previous visit, every park was a tent city. Now, there were less and less tent cities around.  After covering most of Port Au Prince, we stopped at a little playground overlooking the water.  This is where the trash talking had started.  We had  DJ getlive, NYC’s finest, AJ the barber,  the best barber in NYC, Eric, a UWM teammate and Captain of this NYC crew, myself, and Will, our trusty Americorps member.   First up was basketball. We had a three-on-three game and included one of the locals, of course my team won. Sorry Will, but I guess I had the better of the new Yorkers.  After basketball, we moved to the soccer field.  Really, it was just cement with two rocks as goals.  Eric and I played in a 4 on 4 game barefoot and shirtless.  Well, he was shirtless.   They got an early lead, but we quickly came back because Eric eased up so he could put on a show.  The young Haitian boys were great. All smiles, tons of talent and high on life.  We hadn’t lasted even 20 minutes before I stepped on some glass and had to end the game.  While cleaning my wound and taping my foot, I noticed some security in the park.  We went and met the group, which were from the U.S. embassy.  You never know when you need them, and they are great people to know. We did our best to share our story and learn as much as we could.

With bragging rights and a cut, I drove the group up the mountain.  Apparently, no one knows how to drive stick anymore.  Half way up, the other car had to turn back because it was over heating.  Now, ten of us had to squeeze into one SUV. It was tight. Most of the Van was annoyed because Will and I were debating on what is the right approach to welfare and teenage sex education.  Not going to get into it here, but apparently our van was sick of hearing it.  Then we came to the top of the mountain.  Gorgeous view. I had to stop. We could see the whole city.  This beautiful city has an ocean in the front yard and a mountain in the back.   It was great for the guys to see the beauty.  Alice, who is Haitian, but has never been to Haiti, was very emotional.  It was great hearing how happy she was to be here; to see where she came from.  From where we stood we could see it all.  This is a great group, and we are going to have a great week. The next step was now the drive home and down the big, big hill.  I guess I forgot to mention I was going to buy Oreos for lunch, but they were 8 dollars. Better for my diet anyways, huh?

Tony

View photos here

It’s 3:33am and I’m awake before my preemptive alarm has gone off. I’m too excited for this trip to rest. I had been up until 2:30am making sure that my laundry for the trip got into the dryer.  After talking to Delores, Tony’s mother, I get up and start folding my laundry and packing for the trip. It’s a ritual of mine…packing for a trip right before I leave. I learned in college that I work well under pressure and last minute packing is one way I get to relive the old glory days. Unfortunately, I’ve never done this while recovering from the flu before and when loading things into Delores’ car, I realized I left my passport on my bed. Lucky for me, we hadn’t left yet or it would’ve been a rough morning.

Once at the airport, I ask myself a series of questions about how the trip was going to pan out. Would my recovery hinder my experience? Would I get along with the New York crew that was working with us? How will I survive in Haiti without knowing French? Would I still be able to bond with the Haitians? Whatever questions were formulating in my mind at the time were sidelined by the coverage of Whitney Houston’s death. I found out moments before it was released by CNN yesterday. I forced myself to forget about it, but since CNN is the default at airports, I had to accept the fact that it was real. Whitney Houston, also known as “The Voice,” was no longer with us. Her influence and craft is unmatched, and as a singer, the loss had the same effect on me as the passing of Michael Jackson had on entertainers. I spent the layover times in Minneapolis and Chicago singing her songs as my tribute to her memory.

After arriving in Miami, I had to refocus on the mission at hand. In less than an hour, I was about to land in the first Black nation. As a young African Americanist, there is a sense of pride regarding the colonial victories of Haiti. Haitians gave American slaves hope for freedom and ignited the passion to do just that. Before boarding the plane to Haiti, I made three phone calls. The first was to one of my friends from Macalester who’s Haitian-American.  We talked about where I would be and if we could arrange for me to visit his family. The second call was to my best friend Kyera. We talked about how excited, yet jealous she was of me while flexing her maternal muscle by advising me what was safe to eat or drink. The last call I made was to my sister-in-law. I let her know where I was going, why and how long I was going to be there. After repeating the information, she told me I had mail and that she would send it to me. She inquired if I’d be home for the summer and I explained to her my plans for the summer. The call dropped and I sent her a text to say that I loved her and to send my love to the rest of the family. I have to be very cautious about how I give information to my family about my travels. I’m the only person in my family that has traveled abroad and they have been fearful of my travels since my injury during a deployment to Iraq in 2009. It seems best to alert them of my movement(s) abroad when I’m leaving, instead of weeks ahead of time, to avoid the anxiety of it all.

Getting through the airport was a madhouse. There were people everywhere trying to help carry my bags to the parking lot. Luckily, I ran into Tony while he was getting a second Haitian cell phone and we rode to our housing set up together. The ride there was very mind blowing. It felt as though I was driving through favelas in Brasil as they are portrayed in the movie, City of God. I was that I could have spent the rest of the day driving around the city. We arrive just before dinner with enough time to be introduced to rest of the Haitian Initiative crew and drop my bags on the bed. I spend dinner and about an hour after to fellowship with the crew and figure out what everyone’s role is going to be. The last few hours that I’m awake in Haiti, I lay in bed thinking about all I’ll do and see here over the next week with Whitney Houston’s Greatest Hits album playing on my iPod.

Until tomorrow,

Will

For more photos click here

Although it was 8 am on a Sunday morning, what I notice on the drive was that Port au Prince was not as busy as usual.  I also noticed that a lot had been cleaned up since my last visit.  There were many parks and parking lots that were turned into tent cities; they are parks again. The amount of trash on the ground was noticeably less than before and grass was starting to grow in its place.  Hmmm…I am feeling good about this. Change. Change for the better.  Not perfect, but progress.

Once I get to our guest house, I get a call. The New York part of the party missed their flight. This would be a long day.  I also learned that Will, our trusty Americorps member, was on a plane, and although he was battling the flu, he pulled through for the trip.  I also found out he almost forgot his passport! Sounds like someone else might have been using the 15 minute rule.  I am relying on Will to keep us organized, and to help us tell you the story of what’s going on here in Haiti.

-Tony

Congrats Hammer

July 2010 USA Cup / Minnesota

This July, the Haitian Initiative brought a U15 boys team from L’Athletique d’Haiti to Minnesota for the Schwan’s USA Cup. The team consisted of fifteen players and two coaches along with two staff members. During their 17 day stay, the boys were treated to wonderful on and off the field experiences while bringing smiles to everyone they connected with. Their spirit was amazing and they touched the hearts of each person they met in a special way.

Their journey started with tournament play and a championship in the Schwan’s USA Cup, which included participating in the Olympic-style Opening Ceremonies, where L’Athletique d’Haiti was the final team to enter NSC Stadium and received a standing ovation from the crowd of 10,000. It ended with a lifetime of memories and bonds with their host families and new friends. Memories that included trips to Loring Park, Walker Art Center’s Sculpture Garden, a tour of TCF Stadium, Valley Fair Amusement Park and a special bus trip to Kansas City to see the Manchester United vs. Kansas City Wizards soccer game to name a few.

The Haitian Initiative would like to thank the following for their support of this endeavor:

LA Galaxy Foundation & The Sanneh Foundation & L’Athletique d’Haiti
Schwan’s USA Cup
Host families:
Youseff & Patricia Darbarki, Carol Parks, Nissa Hager, Demress Stockman, Elsa Marshall, Marie & Richard Wiita, Lisa & John Shinnick, Brenda & Don Mathis, Janet & Larry Kent, Penny & Perry Coons, Bernice & Jaime Humnick, Kim & Chris Commers, Abby & Rick McKenzie, Karen & Greg Anderson

Food and transportation:
Jack Brewer Foundation, Cowboy Slims, Lynndale Grill, Jon Nasseff & Helene Houle, Chipotle, Paul Fearon & Heather Carrington, Bill Morris and Ikes

Camp Coaches:
Youseff Darbaki, Alex Bunbury, Boro Sucevic, Paul Bottom, Jesse Rosen, Reuben Ndely, Tony Sanneh, Aaron Clubb

Fields:
City of Bloomington and Mayor Gene Winstead

Please visit our Press page for additional stories on L’Athletique d’Haiti’s visit to Minnesota.

March 2010 Haiti Visit

In early March, the LA Galaxy and the Los Angeles Galaxy Foundation made a humanitarian trip to Port-au-Prince, Haiti to distribute supplies, deliver soccer equipment and conduct soccer clinics after the catastrophic earthquake. Gloria King, Director of Community Development and the Galaxy Foundation traveled to Haiti with former Galaxy player and The Sanneh Foundation Director, Tony Sanneh.

The sport of soccer was used to give the children something to look forward to and to take their minds off of the devastation that surrounded them. Sanneh led soccer clinics for children at L’Athletique d’Haiti, a sports program which gives children from some of the poorest neighborhoods an opportunity to get off the streets, play a sport and receive a daily meal.

The distributions of LA Galaxy and Sanneh Soccer gear and soccer equipment along with the clinics brought a smiles to the children’s faces. In addition to soccer equipment, the Galaxy Foundation donated food, soap, coolers and other much needed items. The Sanneh Foundation contributed soccer balls, t-shirts, shorts and cleats. Galaxy and MLS partners, adidas, Kwik Goal, MLS W.O.R.K.S, and Unilever teamed up to provide additional support for the visit.

The trip had such a profound affect on the Los Angeles Galaxy and Sanneh Foundations that they decided to continue with relief efforts beyond their initial trip and continue to give back, the result was the Haitian Initiative.

For more information about the trip visit our Press page.

• Free soccer clinic and games
• Free snacks and drinks
• Best costume contest (all players are encouraged to arrive in costume!)
• Kick it Back Drive

WHEN:
Saturday, October 29th from 12:00pm to 2:00pm

WHERE:
Farview Park
621 29th Ave. N
Minneapolis, MN 55411

WHY:
The Sanneh foundation and Minneapolis Park and Rec have joined forces to offer a fun, healthy and safe environment for kids ages 5-17 during the Halloween weekend.

ABOUT KICK IT BACK:
Kick It Back is a nationwide program established by The Sanneh Foundation in 2009. The program’s core objectives are to promote the need for new and gently worn soccer shoes, increase contributions, and serve as a vehicle to distribute the footwear to those in need. We believe, by setting the example at the highest competitive level of soccer, that colleges, soccer clubs and individuals will follow our lead. The Foundation will distribute it to underprivileged individuals, children and foundations that share our common goal. This equipment represents an opportunity for all of us to give, grow and share the game of soccer.

BE A DONOR:
Bring your new or gently worn soccer shoes to The Halloween Soccer Festival or drop them off at one of our Shoe Drives. If you would like to make a monetary donation towards the purchase of new shoes, go to the donate page on the menu to download a Donor Information form and for a list of upcoming Shoe Drives. While the Kick It Back program’s focus is soccer shoes, we will accept all soccer equipment and athletic shoes. The Sanneh Foundation will issue a receipt to all donors for tax purposes.

This is some news regarding a camp. This is some news regarding a camp. This is some news regarding a camp.

Not many kids can say they’ve had the chance to work closely with a professional athlete, but students throughout the Twin Cities can count themselves lucky. The Sanneh Foundation, founded in 2003 by St. Paul native and professional soccer player Tony Sanneh, lends opportunity to underprivileged students throughout the Twin Cities area who might not otherwise receive such valuable guidance.

Lake Minnetonka Magazine

SavetheTaTas.org

LakeMinnetonka Patch (video)

Outddoorsfirst.com

Fishing RSS Feeds

SAINT PAUL, MN (Aug. 18, 2011): The Sanneh Foundation announces the election of Jason Edgar as Chairman of the Board of Directors, effective immediately, following a Board of Directors’ meeting this past week. The former acting Chair, Tony Sanneh, has transitioned out of this position to focus on his continuing role as Executive Director of the Foundation; developing new partnerships with key organizations; and fundraising in pursuit of the Foundation’s mission.

The Sanneh Foundation is a Minnesota-based non-profit that uses the appeal of sports,
especially soccer, to unite diverse communities and help at-risk youth achieve success and
develop into leaders. Tony Sanneh, a world-class soccer player born and raised in St. Paul,
started the Foundation in 2003 (www.thesannehfoundation.org).

In his new role as Chairman, Jason is responsible for facilitating the strategic direction of the Foundation towards it growth objectives while working to ensure both successful implementation of key programs and fiscal sustainability.

Jason is currently a Director of Research, Development, and Regulatory Affairs within 3M’s
Healthcare Business. He has spent close to 20 years at 3M in various leadership roles within Research and Development, including 3 years leading 3M’s European Medical Business’ laboratory in Germany. During his assignments, he has been an Executive Committee member of several global, multi-disciplinary businesses. Jason’s experience in business leadership, strategic planning, and operational objective attainment positions him well to lead The Sanneh Foundation. His history of mentoring and coaching all levels of employees prepares him for the challenges that he and the Foundation face in building this this fast-growing, non-profit organization.

Jason also brings a passion for community, kids and sports. He and his wife Beth have three daughters in soccer, as well as other sports, and understand firsthand how The Sanneh Foundation’s programs impact the communities they serve. Beth is also an active member of Foundation’s Advisory Board.

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The evening started early with a question and answer time with U.S. Men’s National Team Head Coach Bob Bradley. There was plenty of time to socialize afterwords with two bars and appetizers throughout the evening. Those in attendance could also make bids on silent auction items. They ranged from weekend resort stays to autographed balls and jerseys from many U.S. National Team and MLS players.

Read more at IMS Soccer News:
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But the real winners probably were the fans, who were treated to a fun night of soccer by some of the sport’s top ambassadors.

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Vipers rally past Cup team

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Vipers rally past world cup team

Read more at www.ussoccerfoundation.org

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