NSC fans come together to raise $1,300 for Soccer For The Nations

Photo courtesy of Michael J. Patton Photography.

Photo courtesy of Michael J. Patton Photography.

Photo courtesy of Michael J. Patton Photography.

Photo courtesy of Michael J. Patton Photography.

Photo courtesy of Michael J. Patton Photography.

Photo courtesy of Michael J. Patton Photography.

Photo courtesy of Michael J. Patton Photography.

Photo courtesy of Michael J. Patton Photography.

Photo courtesy of Michael J. Patton Photography.

Photo courtesy of Michael J. Patton Photography.

Photo courtesy of Michael J. Patton Photography.

Photo courtesy of Michael J. Patton Photography.

Photo courtesy of Michael J. Patton Photography.

Photo courtesy of Michael J. Patton Photography.

NASHVILLE — The start of the Nashville Soccer Club season may yet be weeks away, but that didn’t stop the Roadies from uniting the NSC supporter community to raise more than $1,300 for Soccer For The Nations during a special trivia event on Sunday evening at Neighbors Germantown.

The Roadies, an independent non-profit supporters group of Nashville SC, officially took over operations of the Nashville-based Soccer For The Nations late last year. The charity seeks to provide opportunities for children to play soccer without regard to a child’s economic status or cultural background.

“This event was huge for us,” explained Valair Shabilla, who, in addition to serving as a co-director for Soccer For The Nations, arrived in Nashville in 2009 after his family sought asylum from the war in Iraq. “We raised enough tonight alone to field a full team, complete with kits, cleats, shinguards and registration fees. It’s going to make a real impact.”

“It’s a point of pride for us that we are using soccer to try and make Nashville a better place,” Roadies president Newton Dominey said upon acquisition of the charity last October. “This organization can provide a lot of the things that I believe are good about team sports, like character-building and confidence, and it means a lot that we can offer this to kids that may not be able to afford it otherwise. Soccer can bring communities together, and that’s what we’re trying to do.”

Part of that community-building focus was on full display Saturday as more than 100 NSC fans packed into Neighbors for the event. Prizes amounting to more than $700 were available thanks to donations from Heineken, Neighbors, Nelson Mazda, The Crag, AMC Dine-In Thoroughbred 20, Nashville SC, HasBeenSports, The Handsomizer and the Nashville Trivia Guys. In the end, a fellow Nashville Soccer Supporters Trust member, the Music City Supporters, took home the grand prize. 

To learn more or donate to Soccer For The Nations, please visit SoccerForTheNations.com.

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