Kyle Weiss: 2011 Honoree

Kyle Weiss of Danville, Calif., isn't your average teenager. A motivated and energetic individual from a family of self-proclaimed soccer freaks, Kyle learned the great benefit of sports from a young age. Kyle's activism was sparked after speaking to Angolan fans at the 2006 World Cup in Germany. He learned of the dire state of Angola and how so few people can even afford to leave the country, let alone attend a professional match. He also learned that to the youth of Africa, soccer means everything, but lacking resources, most have to kick a makeshift ball of garbage bags around a dusty lot.

Upon returning from Germany, Kyle decided to take action. He gathered his friends to figure out how they could make a difference. They considered collecting soccer equipment to send overseas to Africa, but realized what the children needed first were soccer fields. And so, FUNDaFIELD was born.

FUNDaFIELD has raised $140,000 so far, funding nine soccer fields in Africa. Today, there are 30 core members and 200 plus members in various FUNDaFIELD chapters around the country. Some of these members focus on fundraising, some on outreach and some on research into the extensive possibilities of sport development in Africa and other developing nations where the fields keep children in school and provide a respite from realities marred by oppression, violence and HIV/AIDS.

Kyle and his team continue to fundraise and are working to grow their organization to build fields around the world. To learn more about FUNDaFIELD, click here.