WAUKEGAN – Heart of the City announced Kei Kamara, a 16-year MLS veteran, will be this year’s Soccer to Success Gala keynote speaker Aug. 12 at Loft 21 in Lincolnshire.
Kamara has played more than 400 matches with 318 starts, 142 goals and 54 assists. He is the third-highest scorer in MLS history and the only active player with more than 100 regular-season goals. Playing for the Chicago Fire, he leads the team with four goals this season, scoring for his league-record 10th MLS club.
In addition to his illustrious soccer career, Kamara is a philanthropic leader who is passionate about access and equity. Kamara is the founder of the charitable organization “HeartShapedHands,” a foundation working to increase access to education for children in his home country of Sierra Leon in West Africa.
The foundation, named after his signature goal celebration, has allowed Kamara to follow his heart and use his hands to give back to his home country, a place for which he is very passionate. Funds raised through his foundation go directly to schools and students to help offset the costs of education.
School in Sierra Leone is not free to the public and most young people are unable to continue their education beyond primary school because of funding constraints.
“I have faith that growth happens when we work together, so when I saw what Heart of the City is doing in the community, I wanted to play my part to help this growth,” Kamara said in a news release. “I come from a similar background as many of the beneficiaries of this foundation, so I feel a special connection to the organization.”
Heart of the City serves more than 700 youth from underfunded communities with after-school, recreational and travel soccer programs. Eliminating the financial barriers of playing sports, Heart of the City subsidizes the costs of these programs so they are accessible to all. With a youth development pathway that incorporates college and career readiness support and health and wellness resources, student-athletes gain experiential opportunities and life skills that help them have a brighter future.
The Soccer to Success Gala will be a fun and impactful night to raise much-needed funds to support Heart of the City’s transformative soccer and youth development programs, according to the release. This year’s sponsors are Baxter Credit Union, City of Hope, Consumers Credit Union, Lake County Sports Center, Northwestern Medicine, College of Lake County, Old National Bank, Waukegan Community Bank and the Waukegan Park District.
Tickets and sponsorships are available at www.heartofthecitysports.org/gala
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