New York Red Bulls players will be wearing custom boots during the warm-up of Saturday's MLS home match against Toronto FC, with each bespoke pair being designed by the players and pediatric cancer patients from the New York/New Jersey area.
The campaign is to support and raise awareness for the Tackle Kids Cancer charity and the on-pitch debut is the result of local pediatric cancer patients and their families visiting the Red Bulls Training Facility over the summer. Each child was paired with a Red Bulls player, and the two spent time together before sketching out their ideas and handing them over to local artist Jessie Kavana who hand painted each design.
"Over the past couple of years, through Tackle Kids Cancer and our partnership with Hackensack Meridian Health, we have been able to provide opportunities for players to make a difference in the lives of others, but in the end, the players end up realising that with those visits and those experiences that the kids make a difference in their lives as well," said Red Bulls Captain Luis Robles.
"I know with this organisation we constantly say that we want to be a part of the community, we want to be in the community and it is through Tackle Kids Cancer that we have an opportunity to serve our community, and through the sport of soccer we can make a difference in the lives of others."
Look out for the players in the boots on Saturday, and find out more about NYRB's involvement here.
