Local Youth to Benefit from Grant from Memorial Fund

The Houston Memorial Fund of The Cape Cod Foundation announced today that it has awarded the locally-based UK Soccer Development Program (UKSD) a grant of $9,085.79 to support soccer for youth in the town of Barnstable.

The fund was established in 2012 by friends and classmates of Kevin Houston and Miranda Houston. Both long-time residents of Barnstable, these siblings made an enormous impact on the community in their short lives. Miranda lost her battle with ovarian cancer in 2005 at the age of 26. Kevin, a U.S. Navy SEAL, was killed in Afghanistan on August 6, 2011, as one of 30 Americans who lost their lives when insurgents shot down their helicopter. The Houston Memorial Fund was established in their memories to honor their commitment to youth activities.

UKSD, through the UKSD Grass Roots Soccer Program, the Kidz Play 4 Free Project, and the UKSD Academy, uses the game of soccer to educate youth about social issues, such as homelessness, hunger, and substance abuse, while also supplying high quality soccer training, soccer coaching, equipment, and educational items, at little to no cost to kids and teens in the Barnstable area and throughout the world. 

“We are honored to present this grant, in loving memory of Kevin and Miranda Houston, to an organization that not only gives back to children in Barnstable, but gives back to the community by teaching children important life lessons–morals, values, kindness, and respect–through the game of soccer. Children also learn about important social issues in a fun environment with year-round opportunities to lace up their shoes and play. This organization is all about giving back to people and making the world a better place, both attributes possessed by Kevin and Miranda,” said Cailin White, one of the Houston Memorial Fund organizers.

“To receive this grant from the Houston Memorial Fund is a true honor. We are humbled by the generosity of this gift, and we are also incredibly excited by the possibilities which this grant will provide for the youth we work with. When our community comes together to support, encourage, and help raise each other up, there are no limits to what we are capable of,” shared Lee “Doc” Docherty, Founder and CEO, UKSD.