Ironmen Join Ethan Zohn In Grassroot Soccer United Dribble 2008
October 8, 2008 - Xtreme Soccer League (XSL)
New Jersey Ironmen News Release
Newark, N.J. (Wednesday, October 8, 2008) - On August 20, 2008, Survivor-Africa winner Ethan Zohn began a 550-mile dribbling trek when he put his foot to a soccer ball at a New England Revolution game at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro. Next Monday, the Ironmen will host the avid philanthropist in Newark on a path that is sending him to Washington, DC, for World AIDS Day on December 1.
"I played professional soccer in Africa," Zohn reflected. "My best friend Milton, an African teammate of mine, died of AIDS. All of a sudden, I became part of this human tragedy. I didn't know what to do; what can I do to help this massive problem?"
What Zohn did was take his winnings from Survivor to co-found Grass Root Soccer (GRS), a non-profit organization that focuses on worldwide HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness. In Africa professional soccer players are viewed as heroes within their communities, and GRS begins their approach with them. They first train those athletes about HIV/AIDS, and then those players go into the schools in Africa to teach the youth about the lethal disease.
This Monday at 3:00 PM, Zohn will begin the Newark route of his journey in Lincoln Park. Joining him for the start of his dribble in the city will be Newark South Ward Councilman Oscar James, Ironmen General Manager Tony Novo, Head Coach Omid Namazi, players Goran Vasic and Adauto Neto, youth from around the region and the entire Ironmen staff. From there, Zohn will take off on the Brick City leg of his journey before arriving at Prudential Center where he will pass through the Ironmen "Spirit of Newark" inflatable to conclude the latest installment on his itinerary. The event is open to the entire public, and the community has an open invitation to take part in this historic venture. The dribble signifies an ongoing relationship between Zohn and the Ironmen as he served as an honorary captain for the club in their inaugural season last year.
Originally from Lexington, Massachusetts, Zohn has been a true philanthropist in all aspects of his life. In addition to Grass Root Soccer, he has served as a spokesperson for America Scores, an organization that assists urban children in educational soccer programs. His charitable work has also extended into other programs such as Kick AIDS, the Elizabeth Glazer Pediatric Aids organization, YouthAids and the Colon Cancer Alliance.
Zohn was honored as the 2004 Nkosi Johnson Community Spirit Award by the International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care, and he was awarded with the 'Heroes Among Us' award by the Boston Celtics and the Massachusetts State Department. He also received the Auxilia Chimuroso award by the U.S. State Department in Zimbabwe.
Aside from his philanthropic work, Zohn has deep soccer roots. He played goalkeeper at Vassar College in New York while acquiring his degree in Biology. He went on to play professionally for the Hawaii Tsunami and the Cape Cod Crusaders of the USL as well as in Zimbabwe for the Highlanders Football Club. He also competed with the U.S. National Maccabiah Team in Israel in both 1997 and 2001.
Zohn spent 1998-2002 as an assistant coach for the Farleigh Dickinson University men's and women's soccer teams. In 2005 he began to co-host the Metro Soccer Report (renamed MSG Soccer Report) on the MSG Network, a weekly show dedicated to the New York Red Bulls. Beginning in April 2006, he started hosting FC Fox on the Fox Soccer Channel.
The New Jersey Ironmen will make their 2007-08 season debut at Prudential Center on Sunday, December 14th, opening up their sophomore campaign at 4:00 p.m. against the Chicago Storm. Don't miss out on the action! Call 1-800-IRONMEN today to see the Ironmen embark upon their mission of bringing a championship to the Garden State!
Xtreme Soccer League Stories from October 8, 2008
- Ignition To Hold Open Tryouts November 15 - Detroit Ignition
- Storm Sign Six - Chicago Storm
- Ironmen Join Ethan Zohn In Grassroot Soccer United Dribble 2008 - New Jersey Ironmen
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
