June 15 2006
Kasey Keller to support 6 villages for 2006
Press release
(15 June 2006) - Kasey Keller, four-time FIFA World Cup™ goalkeeper for the U.S. national team, will receive his official FIFA/SOS ambassador's certificate at the team's press conference in Hamburg on 19 June at 2:00 p.m. The high-profile German Bundesliga (Borussia Moenchengladbach) player became a FIFA/SOS ambassador last month, and wanted to use this press conference to bring awareness to the joint FIFA/SOS Children's Villages 6 villages for 2006 campaign.
Keller is one of the first American goalkeepers to become a starter in the English Premiere League, and has earned 91 international caps for the US and is the team's all-time leader in wins and shutouts.
Kasey Keller is one of more than 100 "FIFA for SOS Children's Villages" ambassadors, joining the likes of Andriy Shevchenko, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Francesco Totti and Wayne Rooney. Other FIFA/SOS ambassadors competing in this year's 2006 FIFA World Cup™ include Pauleta, Fabio Cannavaro, Ulises de la Cruz and Juninho Pernambucano. These and other ambassadors have pledged support for the 6 villages for 2006 campaign and have attended many campaign-related events.
SOS Children's Villages USA
SOS Children's Villages USA opened its first children's village in Coconut Creek, Florida in 1993. Not long afterwards, the second children's village was opened in Lockport, Illinois. In 2004, the first "urban" SOS Children's Village in the USA opened in Chicago. At present there are three SOS Children's Villages in the United States of America.
About 6 villages for 2006
6 villages for 2006, a joint charity campaign between SOS Children's Villages and FIFA, is the most ambitious fundraising project ever in the history of football's biggest tournament. Every donation made will help SOS Children's Villages and FIFA provide 800 orphaned, abandoned and destitute children with a new family environment at six new children's villages - one each in Brazil, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa, Ukraine and Vietnam. A further 5,000 children and 1,000 families will benefit from new ancillary schools and social centres.
About SOS Children's Villages SOS Children's Villages, a private and non-governmental social development organisation for children, is active in 132 countries and territories. 444 children's villages and 354 youth facilities provide more than 60,000 children/youths with a new home. More than 137,000 children/youths attend SOS Kindergartens, SOS Schools and SOS Vocational Training Centres. Around 385,000 people benefit from the services provided by SOS Medical Centres and 230,000 people benefit from SOS Social Centres. SOS Children's Villages also helps in situations of crisis and disaster through emergency relief programmes.
Contact:
Adriana Pontieri
International Press Officer
Email:
adriana.pontieri@sos-kd.org Mobile: +43-664 502 0947
Hugh Linnehan
Communications Officer
Email:
hugh.linnehanQsos-kd.org Mobile: +43-664 508 0395
http://www.6villagesfor2006.org