**UPDATE** Thank you all so much! In just six days we reached our goal, even with the amended budget that accounted for additional players. All of the team's equipment and jerseys are now purchased (as you can see in our updated photo),  and the season is off to a great start. Couldn't have done this without you all! 

**UPDATE** Our roster will actually be 19 PEOPLE instead of 12!! Nearly all of the men in the apartment complex where I volunteer decided to join. So this campaign is staying open until all equipment is purchased; the budget below has been amended to reflect this huge change. 


Hi friends! I am creating an adult soccer team for recently-arrived Syrian refugees (less than 6 months in the U.S.) who have been resettled in Central Maryland, where I currently volunteer with an organization called BRIDGE America. We support approximately 20 families in Landover, 12 in Riverdale, and other families in the surrounding area, providing job placement and training resources, English language classes, and overall resettlement guidance through multiple avenues as they adjust to a radically different lifestyle in this country – their country now. This will be an actual team who competes weekly in an indoor soccer league in the area. The first match is less than one week away, on Thursday, March 16! All matches will be between 9:30 PM – 12:00 and the season will last until mid-May, so if you're interested, come cheer us on! I and one other BRIDGE volunteer will be playing too! 

• $350: Team Registration: This fee is ordinarily $690 (plus tax), but the owner of Total Soccer Arena where we will be playing generously offered to halve the registration price for our team, and that price would stay the same if we had enough members to register a second team too
• $940: approx $55/pair for mid-range indoor soccer cleats the 17 Syrian members of our team. It is very difficult to play soccer (well) in tennis shoes, work boots, or other footwear. Two of the players on the team will be myself and another BRIDGE volunteer, so of course this is not going toward cleats for ourselves. Thank you Rockville Soccer for the awesome 25% discount on all our cleats!!
• $276: Team Jerseys: 20 team jerseys (1 extra) at awesome 60% discount, thank you Allied Shirts and Alfredo Serrano!
• $200: Misc. additional equipment (like balls), and future events
• $0: 17 pairs of shin guards; Thank you Rockville Soccer for the generous donation!
• $0: 17 pairs of soccer socks; Again, thank you Rockville Soccer!