The Florida Cup Announces Support for Local Hurricane Maria Evacuees

Last year, the Chapecoense tragedy united the Florida Cup community to rally support and donations. This year, 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, and children who participate in the City's after school programs. More than 1,500 tickets will be distributed to these local entities thanks to the support of the City of Orlando.

The Florida Cup will also work with HOLA to host a group of Puerto Rican evacuees as special guests at the Florida Cup Fan Fest in Universal Studios Florida on January 13, when Boyce Avenue take the stage. 

In addition, the Florida Cup in partnership with Montverde Academy will collect sporting goods, coats, sweaters, quilts and comforters at the Florida Cup All-Star Game on January 9. The 8 p.m. All-Star game at Montverde Academy is free admission, and fans who attend are asked to bring any of the listed items for donation. Montverde Academy graduate and Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor will also be on hand to support the event on Jan 9th.

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. 

Lastly, the Florida Cup and its partner adidas will donate 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 Orlando City Stadium with the first ever meeting between Brazil's champion, SC Corinthians, and Dutch league leaders, PSV Eindhoven, featuring Mexican international Hirving "Chucky" Lozano on January 10 at 7 p.m. 

About The Florida Cup:

The Florida Cup is the largest annual international celebration of soccer held in the Sunshine State. A global platform that combines sports and entertainment, the event draws the best international clubs with a world-wide fan base, leading international sponsors like adidas, Lennar Homes and Universal Orlando Resorts, and is broadcast live across to over 140 countries on five continents. The 2018 event will feature popular soccer clubs from Europe and Latin America such as Rangers FC from Scotland, PSV Eindhoven from the Netherlands, Poland's Legia Warsaw, Atlético Nacional of Colombia, Barcelona SC of Ecuador, and Brazilian powerhouses including 2017 Serie A Champions SC Corinthians. The world's premier players and passionate fans will convene in Central Florida January 10 – 20, 2018 for a final pre-season tune-up and to kick off a World Cup year. 

For more information on the Florida Cup including tickets, visit www.floridacup.com, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.