Spirit of Giving: A Special Night of Giving and Gratitude

By Giving List Staff   |   January 9, 2024

ACCESS U Foundation celebrated the end of 2023 with a special night of giving and gratitude at its first-ever public fundraiser held at the incomparable Flores restaurant in Corte Madera near San Francisco. We’ve always relied on our Corporate partners, Allstate, Chevron, Ford, and Pepsi and a few private donors, but the Mexican fiesta allowed our friends and family to step up and support our important work. 

There was much to celebrate at the “Spirit of Giving” evening, with ACCESS U’s talented scholar-athletes earning many accolades on and off the field in 2023, including:

•Aniya Williams was called up to the Mexican U17 Women’s National Team and competed with the team in Costa Rica in preparation for CONCACAF.
•Brandon Zelaya, a junior at Santa Clara University, and his Broncos teammates were named West Coast Conference Co-champions.
•Emily Morales and Jancarlos Castañon were chosen at the Alianza de Futbol National Showcase to be ACCESS U’s newest members.
•Several seniors will matriculate this fall, with most earning partial or full scholarships:

Amalia Lopez: Colorado State University
-America Chavez: University of Saint Katherine
-Ashlee Mora: University of Texas at El Paso
-Bailee Ramirez: McNeese State University
-Layla Chu: Saint Mary’s College of California
-Phoenix Wooten: Harvard University
-Tatiana Diaz: McNeese State University
-Vianca Sanchez: University of California, Riverside

Pac-12 Men’s Soccer Coach of the Year, Cal Bears’ Leonard Griffin, was the proud auction winner of an autographed authentic Pelé jersey and a magnum of Furthermore wine.

We also premiered our ACCESS U video featuring Ameerah Kolleff, a junior from South LA United Club. Ameerah dreams of playing Division I college soccer and plans to study pre-med and become an OB-GYN one day. 

Guests dined on delicious food and a tequila tasting hosted by San Matias Tequila, which paved the way for our raffle and auction and we raised plenty of money. We were lucky to have past donors Yours In Soccer in the room and Pac-12 Men’s Soccer Coach of the Year, Cal Bears’ Leonard Griffin, who outbid everybody for the signed Pelé jersey and a magnum of Furthermore wine. ACCESS U looks forward to expanding our academic and athletic support programs in 2024 and helping more high school scholar-athletes turn their college dreams into reality.  We plan to bring the party to Southern California with a spring fundraiser… stay tuned!

 

Access U Foundation

Donate now!

www.accessufoundation.org
(415) 305-5575
CEO ACCESS U Foundation: Brad Rothenberg

Mission

ACCESS U believes that every soccer player deserves a chance to succeed. We provide Black and Latino scholar-athletes with mentors who guide them through the college recruitment process and help them fulfill their academic and athletic potential and succeed in education, work and life.

Begin to Build a Relationship

We know you care about where your money goes and how it is used. Connect with this organization’s leadership in order to begin to build this important relationship. Your email will be sent directly to this organization’s Director of Development and/or Executive Director.

ACCESS U creates a more inclusive and equitable environment in college sports, offering high school students opportunities to improve their lives and fostering a stronger sense of unity within the college soccer community. ACCESS U opens doors too often closed to young people dreaming big.
Leonard Griffin
Head Coach, UC Berkeley Men’s Soccer Team

Help Level the Playing Field for All Student Athletes

Many standout student-athletes in Latino and Black communities never get a chance to be recruited to play their sport in college because it is unaffordable or not accessible to them. ACCESS U helps them fulfill both their college academic and athletic dreams.

It costs ACCESS U $12,500 to help level the playing field for one student-athlete. This provides academic support, college guidance, and mentorship to guide them through the college recruitment process over the four years of high school and to help them succeed in education, work, and life. 

The Foundation is seeking $500,000 to double their current roster of 40 female athletes in the coming year and continue supporting male athletes. They are seeking a $3 million goal over the next three years to continue their mission of serving 100 students per year and to expand with recruiting tournaments, enrichment programs for college freshmen, and other resources.

Key Supporters

Adidas
Allstate Insurance
Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
Dick’s Sporting Goods
Ford Motor Company
PepsiCola Team of Champions
Dena Fischer Trust
For Soccer Ventures
Yours In Soccer Foundation
Rothenberg Family Foundation
Judge James and Jessica
Dabney Family
Emily and Phil Ginsburg Family
James Horowitz
Jared and Katherine Doumani
Jennifer Betti and Peter Jackson
Over 100 additional donors