LouCity, Racing Team up to ‘Give Back’ Through Blessings in a Backpack

Story via oursportscentral.com.

Louisville City FC and Racing Louisville FC players joined in on a Blessings in a Backpack packing day designed to raise awareness about hunger and food insecurity in Louisville as well as educate the community about resources available. Joining the pros were also members of the University of Louisville’s athletics teams.

“It’s awesome,” said Racing forward Emina Ekic, also a Louisville native. “We had practice, then lift, we ate and we came right out here. It’s nice that it’s here so we have more opportunities to do things and give back to our community with our busy schedules.”

“We’re having a lot of fun with it and getting competitive.”

Powered by Kroger, the event centered on assembling 400 bags donated to Engelhard Elementary, the 1004 South First Street school where LouCity/Racing players also recently hosted a literacy and soccer camp.

Blessings in a Backpack – a national program originally launched in Louisville – mobilizes communities, individuals, and resources to provide food on the weekends for children across America who might otherwise go hungry. The 501(c)(3) charity organization now has eight regional chapters that will distribute more than three million bags of food this year to kids who need them most.

“We get a chance to appreciate what we have personally,” LouCity defender Pat McMahon said of Wednesday’s event. “It just puts things in perspective.”

Opened this summer, Lynn Family Sports Vision & Training Center, at 801 Edith Road minutes from Lynn Family Stadium, sits on a complex including four turf fields that have been used for adult soccer leagues, youth clinics and a number of community events. The building houses day-to-day operations for LouCity, Racing and their respective youth academies.