Release Date: March 9, 2016
Primary Media Contact: Jeremy Schultz, [email protected], 559.320.2543
FRESNO FUEGO STAFF & PLAYERS SUPPORT READ ACROSS AMERICA PROGRAM
Visit to Storey Elementary School Supports NEA’s National Reading Motivation Effort
FRESNO, Calif. – On Friday, March 11, the Fresno Fuego F.C., as part of its community outreach program, is sending Head Coach Sean Lanigan and a dozen active players to visit Storey Elementary School at 5250 E. Church Ave. in Fresno, to emphasize with students the importance of education programs to achieving their fullest human development. Fuego believes that promoting the value of a good education and encouraging participation in youth sports of all kinds will contribute to competitive, well-rounded individuals and a healthier society.
The National Education Association’s Read Across America is a reading motivation and awareness program that calls for every child in every community to celebrate the joy, excitement and benefits of making reading an integral element of their daily lives. As part of this endeavor, the NEA also provides its members, parents, caregivers and children, the resources and structure they need to keep the importance of reading on the calendar for 365 days a year.
“I’ve been a teacher for most of my adult life,” said Coach Lanigan, “and I know the tremendous importance of getting young children to make a habit out of reading, whether it is part of school work or just for fun and personal enrichment. If we can get more of our young fans to increase the amount of reading they do, it will lead the way for them to be better and more engaged students in all subjects. Our players are very excited to be making an appearance in strength at Storey to show their strong support for Read Across America and reading, in general.”
Accompanying Coach Lanigan to Storey Elementary School will be highly-popular Fuego players, Milton Blanco, Elliott Hord, Tony Torres, Elijah Martins, Mason Gonzalez, Alfredo Lopez, Gaston Cignetti, Renato Bustamante, Juba Cipriano and Felipe Oliveira.
“With the appointment of a full-time Fuego Head Coach a few months ago, we are now able to do more in the Central Valley to try to influence our young fans to work hard and keep a keen focus on the importance of getting a good education,” said General Manager Jeremy Schultz. “Sports, in general, teaches kids a great deal about the importance of working together, competing and the value of living a healthy lifestyle. Our players are all interested in bettering themselves for their own sakes and for the benefit of their families and communities. It’s for this reason that we want to stress to the students at Storey why reading is such an important and fundamental building block in their lives.”
Fuego’s 14-game, 2016 regular season is scheduled to begin on Friday, May 6, against the Burlingame Dragons in Chukchansi Park. The match will begin at 7:30pm. During the 2015 regular season, Fuego averaged attendance of almost 3,912 fans per game, one of the highest levels of fan support in the 63-team, international Premier Development League (PDL).
ABOUT THE FRESNO FUEGO
The Fresno Fuego are four-time Champions of the Southwest Division in the USL Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, the top level of amateur soccer in North America. Founded in 2003, the team competes in the newly-formed Central Pacific Division of the PDL Western Conference. More than 50 Fuego players have moved on to sign professional contracts. The team plays its home games in the heart of Downtown Fresno at Chukchansi Park. Season Tickets, Group and Birthday packages, and fundraising options for the 2016 season are currently available by contacting Jordan Wiebe at [email protected].
#FresnoFuego