TULSA – FC Tulsa is proud to announce a collaboration with Catholic Charities of Eastern Oklahoma and BYU Alumni, Tulsa Oklahoma Chapter.
On Saturday, April 20, FC Tulsa will host Charleston Battery FC and will welcome more than 200 youth and their families for an on-field meet and greet with FC Tulsa players. Many of these families were resettled to the Tulsa area through Catholic Charities Refugee Resettlement program. The North Tulsa Soccer Club and their families are also invited to participate.
As a part of their mission to be “Connected for Good”, BYU Alumni collected more than 700 sports balls for children in need at the BYU vs. OSU football tailgate in November 2023. The donations were given to Payne County Youth Service and Catholic Charities of Eastern Oklahoma to distribute. The soccer balls will be given to the children in attendance on Saturday after the FC Tulsa match.
“As BYU alumni, we strive to follow Jesus Christ’s example to love our neighbor. As part of every away football game, the BYU tailgate includes a service project,” said Mary Ford, BYU Alumni Tulsa Oklahoma Chapter, Service & Public Affairs Specialist. “These ‘Cougs Care’ projects are planned by local alumni volunteers in partnership with local organizations to benefit the community.”
“This is an awesome opportunity for two faith communities to join together to serve,” said Deacon Kevin Sartorius, CEO of Catholic Charities of Eastern Oklahoma. “There will be a lot of smiles on that soccer field Saturday evening.”
“We are humbled to provide an experience that will be a fun and uplifting event for refugees that now call Tulsa home as well as members of the North Tulsa Soccer Club,” said FC Tulsa co-owner Ryan Craft. “When it came to our attention that many in this group were big soccer fans, we knew this would be a great opportunity to invite them out to meet and cheer on their new hometown team. We appreciate the work put in by Catholic Charities and BYU Alumni to make Saturday night special for these new Tulsans.”
About FC Tulsa
FC Tulsa is Tulsa’s premier professional sports franchise, playing soccer in the USL Championship at ONEOK Field in downtown Tulsa. The club motto is #ForTulsa and aims to represent the renaissance and rebirth of our beautiful city by putting the Tulsa community at the heart of everything FC Tulsa does. On the pitch, the club made the USL Championship Playoffs in two of the previous four seasons. Season Ticket Memberships and single match tickets for the 2024 season are on sale now at FCTulsa.com/tickets.
About Catholic Charities of Eastern Oklahoma
From pregnancy care to end-of-life care, and everything in between, Catholic Charities of Eastern Oklahoma’s (CCEOK) 15 programs and 7 locations serve those in need across Eastern Oklahoma. In addition to being the largest provider of food to individuals in need in the state of Oklahoma, CCEOK also provides dental care, adult education, immigration legal services, refugee resettlement, transitional living for pregnant women and single mothers, counseling and more. They welcome all who come to their doors without regard for race, color, or creed; approximately 85% of those they serve are not Catholic. The majority are the working poor, barely getting by on a daily basis. Funding for CCEOK operations is primarily provided by the generosity of individuals and charitable organizations. For more information, visit their website at cceok.org.
About BYU Alumni
Guided by the motto “Connected for Good,” the BYU Alumni Association aims to connect BYU alumni throughout the world. BYU Alumni is dedicated to furthering the mission of BYU beyond campus by providing alumni with opportunities that foster a spirit of lifelong learning and service. BYU Alumni’s chapters, events, and programs inspire alumni to build character, relationships, and communities, encouraging them to truly become connected for good. For more information, visit their website at https://alumni.byu.edu/cougs-care.
