Annual Charity Soccer Tournament: Extending a Helping Hand to Children

Student organizations from the UM School of Pharmacy collaborated once again to host a University-wide indoor charity soccer tournament to benefit the children in the Heart of a Champion organization.

By Christian Talla
March 8, 2012

The annual tournament, held this year at the Pratt Gym in the Southern Management Corporation Campus Center, drew the support of students from the University of Maryland (UM) Schools of Pharmacy, Medicine, Dentistry, Law, and Nursing. Participants put aside their lab coats, scrubs, books, and instrument kits to show off their soccer skills for three full hours in front of a large audience of their peers and guests. Eight teams participated, and the event raised $580 from registration fees and donations.

Ali Andrzejewski, a professional soccer player and Heart of a Champion founder, was full of praise for the students’ leadership, generosity, and community engagement. “Heart of a Champion is so thankful for the UM charity soccer tournament which raised money to benefit our efforts in Nicaragua and Belize. The money will go to feeding children during a week of camp in Nicaragua and to helping build a new recreation center for children in Belize” said Andrzejewski.

The charity soccer tournament is a heart-healthy way to raise money for a good cause while spreading the word about the work the School’s student chapter of the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) is doing to advance patient care and cultivate awareness of managed care pharmacy. AMCP collaborated with three other student-organizations from the School of Pharmacy: the Student National Pharmaceutical Association, Phi Delta Chi, and the Student Section of the Maryland Public Health Association (SMdPHA).

AMCP chapter advisor Fadia Shaya, PhD, MPH, a professor of pharmaceutical health services research at the School of Pharmacy, praised the students for a job well done. “This is an excellent example of collaboration among our students in support of community outreach and services while setting examples for athleticism, leadership, and healthy activities,” she said.

Monique Mounce, chapter president of SMdPHA and a third-year student pharmacist, was thrilled by the success of the event. “As students, we sometimes do not take time to promote our own physical and emotional health, and this competitive event helped us incorporate physical activity into our weekly activities,” she said.

Anna Hung, AMCP president-elect and a second-year student pharmacist agreed. “The charity soccer tournament was a huge success this year. We will definitely continue the tradition next year, and we’re looking into ways to make it even better.”