Avenues Football Club embarks on CONCACAF fund-raising drive

The Avenues Football Club is seeking the help of the public to take part in the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) Caribbean Club Shield championship.

The competition takes place from April 13 to 21 this year, in the Dominican Republic and will feature 12 teams from 12 different Member Association leagues, all of which are working with CONCACAF’s Development Department towards a long-term vision to professionalize the club game across the region.

The Dominican Republic was selected as host of the inaugural Caribbean Shield after a detailed regional evaluation process and manager of Avenues FC Marvin Fraser says this is one of the significant ventures on the club’s 2018 roster.

He said CONCACAF is giving an amateur club a chance to establish themselves if they are able to win this competition and once Avenues players are able to take part, they will be exposed to a high level of competition, where they will play against very good players, while also exposing themselves to talent scouts who will be at the games.

He said that the 26-member team is a young team, made up of players between 16 and 23.

The club needs over EC$79,000 to take part in the competition. CONCACAF is providing US$12,000, while the St Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation (SVGFF) has promised to assist. The club, therefore, must raise a significant amount of the money needed to take part in the tournament.

“We often like to say the youths are going nowhere and turn our backs, but this is an opportunity to showcase talent of young players. This is a chance to be part of the future of St Vincent and the Grenadines,” said Fraser in his message to would-be sponsors.

General secretary of the Avenues United Sports, Educational and Cultural Club (AUSECC) Janielle Browne said they have planned several fund-raising ventures, including soccer games at Victoria Park, a football exhibition and bingo night. Dates will soon be announced. Specially designed shirts are currently on sale at EC$35 for adults and EC$25 for children.

Vice-president of Avenues Cozelle Fraser said that taking part in the CONCACAF competition is very important for the club.

She said the club is celebrating 50 years of existence and this is a significant and proud achievement, as this cements them as the longest standing community-based organization that exists in the country.

“We are hoping to re-establish the club as an entity that contributes to the holistic development of the youths. We are hoping to build national awareness and consciousness around the activities, so we have to generate the resources we need to fund our participation in the club championship and to support the events that we have planned,” said Fraser.

The club also has several other activities planned for the year, including a football island boat cruise in July, cultural activities which will include a cultural game night, a kite building and kite flying workshop, dance, pan and mas events and an educational summer programme that will facilitate song-writing and costume designing. Dates will soon be announced.

Avenues’ year of activities will climax with a dinner and awards ceremony in December.