Yorba Linda hosts first annual Soccer With Hope tournament

Over the last three years, the Yorba Linda girls’ soccer team has partnered with the With Hope Amber Craig Memorial Foundation to take up the cause of suicide prevention with an annual fundraising match.

This year that partnership has spawned a week-long tournament to further promote and advocate that message, as the Mustangs will host the first annual Soccer With Hope Tournament this week.

Capistrano Valley, Esperanza, El Dorado, Pacifica, Righetti, and Tesoro will join the Mustangs in a seven-team competition at Yorba Linda High where all proceeds from the matches will go to the foundation.

All seven schools are also participating in a coin collection drive and accepting donations at the gate.

Mustangs head coach Greg Aviles has confirmed that nearly $4,000 dollars has already been raised.

“Our goal is to put this message out there so that none of the schools will have to deal with the issue of suicide,” he said.

The With Hope Foundation was started by Annette Craig, the mother of former El Dorado goalie Amber Craig who committed suicide on May 25, 2005 at the age of 14.

For more information about the foundation and how you can help, please visit www.withhopefoundation.org.