ORLANDO, Fla. (FOX 35 WOFL) - The Florida Cup says although the Chapecoense tragedy united the Florida cup community to rally support and donations, this year, the Florida Cup is working with the City of Orlando's Hispanic Office for Local Assistance (HOLA) and the Department of Families, Parks and Recreation to offer complimentary tickets to Puerto Rican evacuees displaced to Central Florida due to Hurricane Maria. They will also give complimentary tickets to children who participate in the city's after school programs.
More than 1,500 will reportedly be distributed to these local entities thanks to the support of the City of Orlando.
Also, the Florida Cup says that with the help of the Monteverde Academy, sporting goods, coats, sweaters, quilts, and comforters will be collected at the Florida Cup All-Star Game on January 9th.
The 8 p.m. All-Star game at Monteverde Academy is reportedly free admission and fans who attend are asked to bring any of the listed items for donation. The donated items will benefit CASA (Coordinadora de Apoyo, Solidaridad y Ayuda), a coalition of 14 Hispanic organizations that provides ongoing support to families still dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.
Finally, the Florida Cup says that they will work with their partner, Adidas, on donating uniforms to local youth development soccer programs to further promote the sport to everyone in the market.
“We are thrilled to be able to count on our partners to support the efforts of both HOLA and CASA, as well as contribute to the local community through the sport,” said Florida Cup CEO Ricardo Villar.
The Florida Cup will kick off at the Orlando City Stadium with the first ever meeting between Brazil's champion, SC Corinthians, and Dutch league leaders, PSV Eindhoven, featuring Mexican international Hirving "Chuck" Lozano on January 10th at 7 p.m.