CASA Announces its Charity of Choice: Jake’s House
On Sunday, May 6th, the stands at the Hershey Centre were filled with fans, excited for the Arena Soccer Doubleheader. Before the game, however, the crowds were united not only as soccer fans but also as supporters of autism, as the Canadian Arena Soccer Association (CASA) announced Jake’s House is its Charity of Choice.
In a touching pre-game ceremony, CASA welcomed our Executive Director, Jennifer Joseph, and our Director of Community Engagement, James Bodanis, to the field, while they played an informative video on the autism landscape in Canada and the work we’re doing to support the many affected families (watch here).
With 1 in 66 Canadian children now having an autism diagnosis, both Jake’s House and CASA recognize the need for the community to band together to help. “CASA understands the importance of having a sense of belonging and of being a part of a team. We are happy to be party of a community that cares, and invite others to support Jake’s House,” says General Manager Phil Ionadi.
After the announcement, fans watched the Canadian National Arena Soccer Team defeat the US National team in a gripping overtime international friendly, followed by the lively Arena Premier League Championships.
Sitting side-by-side in the stands with our families, the Jake’s House team had an absolute ball at the doubleheader. We were thrilled by the showing of support that day, and hope it kicked off the growing of the Jake’s House family to include CASA and its greater community.
