April 22, 2009

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern continues its spring schedule with the inaugural Soldier Field Kicks Against Breast Cancer collegiate soccer invitational on Sunday, April 26. The Wildcats will face regional foes Illinois and Northern Illinois in the unique event to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research and treatment.

Fans interested in helping the team reach its goal of $2,000 for the event can send their donation to NU W Soccer, 1501 Central St., Evanston, IL, 60201. Checks can be made out to Kicks Against Breast Cancer.

"We are proud to be a part of the first-ever Chicago-area Kicks Against Breast Cancer," head coach Stephanie Erickson said. "This is a cause and event that hits close to home for female student-athletes and our players' motivation to raise awareness and funds has been inspiring."

The Wildcats will face Illinois at 8:30 a.m. Sunday and will take on Northern Illinois at 2:30 p.m. Games will be played at Soldier Field in Chicago.

General admission tickets are $10 and includes access to the Soldier Field Fan Zone, which gives fans of all ages the opportunity to interact with coaches, players, sponsors, and spokespersons. A “Soccer Moms” clinic will also be held to teach the basics of soccer and provide inside tips to parents, aspiring coaches and players.

University of Illinois, Northwestern University, Northern Illinois University, Notre Dame, University of Wisconsin (Madison), Marquette University, and DePaul University will be playing games throughout the day.

Founded by Louise Waxler, The Kicks Against Breast Cancer Tournament honors the memory of Claudia Mayer, who died of breast cancer at the age of 47 in 1996. The KICKS tournaments are held on an annual basis in April of each year attracting top collegiate soccer teams from throughout the United States.

Players and teams will also contribute off the field by accepting a challenge to raise money, on a per team basis, to help in the fight against breast cancer by selling KICKS merchandise (i.e., t-shirts, pins, balls, and hats), and other on-campus activities prior to the tournament. Soldier Field Kicks Against Breast Cancer has set a fund raising goal of $100,000 which will be achieved through the efforts of the student athletes and the generous support of sponsors like adidas. Children’s Memorial Research Center of Chicago will share in the proceeds from Soldier Field Kicks Against Breast Cancer event.