With COVID-19 impacting everyday life, these are no doubt challenging times for us all. Primarily, we hope that you and your family are in good spirits and health!
It is difficult to escape the overflow of information we are all seeing related to the COVID-19 pandemic. What we normally use to distract us in stressful times, like watching our kids play soccer on the weekends, is simply not available right now, and we know just how frustrating this can be.
We are doing everything possible to prepare for a return to the soccer field, but the reality we are faced with is that we will not have that opportunity in the immediate future. That is why on Wednesday evening, the CASA Board of Directors made the difficult decision to
cancel our 2020 Spring Recreational Soccer season
.
Please know that every decision we make is guided by our long-standing commitment to the health and safety of our youth and parents, our coaches and staff, and the broader community that we serve. This includes abiding by guidance issued by the Commonwealth related to stay-at-home orders and other mitigation efforts during this unprecedented time.
As a nonprofit organization that serves more than 1,200 boys and girls throughout Central Pennsylvania, now, more than ever, we know that our community needs us to provide an outlet for our kids – both for their physical and mental health. And, honestly, we know that you, the parents, need it too.
But as much as our community needs us, right now CASA needs you.
We are in uncharted waters. COVID-19 has laid on us an unpredictable scenario where our Spring season has been canceled based on the guidance from state and local authorities. We have been thrown into a new reality: CASA will not be able to provide quality soccer programming to our community for the first time in nearly 25 years.
We know that we need to adapt fast to this changing reality, but we also want to be open and honest with you about the financial realities we face as we look toward the future of our club. Because our club is made up of the families we serve, we are asking our CASA families to help us in our time of need.
For those families who signed up and registered for the 2020 Spring Recreational Soccer season, we are asking you to consider your registration fee as a donation to our club. This is not an easy thing to ask of our families –we know that COVID-19 is impacting everyone, every day. But we are a community-based club with limited financial resources, and in order to keep the club financially viable so that we can offer the same quality programs going forward, we need your help.
Although we are a volunteer run, nonprofit organization, we have fixed costs that do not go away when the season goes away, including rent, insurance, utilities, field maintenance and our dedicated office staff. If we hope to provide quality soccer when the shutdown ends, we must continue to operate through the shutdown. And we need the support of our community to do it.
As a thank you for your commitment and dedication to the club by agreeing to donate your 2020 Spring Recreational Soccer registration fee, you will receive a personalized brick paver that will be part of our patio at the new concession stand. Long after the COVID-19 pandemic is over, your contribution to the club will remain as a constant reminder of your commitment to our CASA family.
If you are able and willing to support CASA through this unprecedented time and donate your 2020 Spring Recreational Soccer registration fee, click
here
.
For those unable to donate their 2020 Spring Recreational Soccer registration fee, the club is working on other potential options for you to credit your recreational registration fee for future programs, including in-person and virtual soccer training and activities this summer. An additional email will be sent next week with further information on these next steps.
We know that times are tough, so please know that we are working hard to keep CASA moving forward. We are hopeful that we will return to the soccer fields soon. But we need your help to ensure that when CASA does return, we are still able to provide the same level of quality service and dedication that has made us a true community club. If you have any questions or concerns, please email
info@casasoccer.org
.
We wish you the very best. Stay safe and remember that we will get through this, together.
Thanks,
Jon Bassoff
CASA Board President
