Sand & Surf Soccer Club Gives Back

The Manhattan Beach Sand & Surf Soccer Club staged its 2nd Annual "Kicking It Together" three-hour soccer event for children receiving treatment for cancer and blood disorders at Children's Hospital of Los Angeles in late April.

The event gave 173 youngsters undergoing treatment in the hospital's oncology/hematology department and their families the chance to have some fun with soccer.

The kids engaged in games and drills under the tutelage of more than a dozen Sand & Surf professional coaches, said MB resident and club volunteer Alan Fox, who has two daughters in the soccer club.

During halftime, James Ortega of the Futboleros performed "amazing soccer tricks," said Fox. Los Angeles Galaxy forward Adam Cristman signed autographs and took photos with the kids, who each went home with an event T-shirt, soccer ball and goodie bag to commemorate the special day.

Sand & Surf, a soccer club for players ages 5 to 19, partnered with the City of Los Angeles, the L.A. Galaxy professional soccer team and the Expo Center for "Kicking It Together." The soccer event took place on Soberoff Field next to the L.A. Coliseum on Sunday, April 22 from 9 a.m to 12 noon with the help of 126 volunteers from the club.

Mayor Wayne Powell, now Mayor Pro Tem David Lesser and Council member Richard Montgomery attended the event, held