South Philly Proving Hotbed For Soccer
2009 LIL’ STRIKERS of South Philadelphia celebrate a Thanksgiving championship. In front row: Joshua Nowaczyk, John Haigh, Salvatore Messina, Mathew Tronieri, Salvatore Gullotta and Gavin Yeager. (Standing): Justin Rooney, Christopher Beady, Christian Parker, Jeffrey Rosenblum, Johnny Stermel, Hunter Dilks and Dean Bergman.
Vol. III No. 49 (Issue 113)
by R. George Linton If the Philadelphia Union Major League Soccer team is looking to groom some future professional stars, the Chester-based outfit should start looking in South Philadelphia. MLS scouts will find a hotbed of talent in the area, who play the beautiful game year-round in all conditions. Leading the way, producing skilled soccer stars, is the South Philadelphia Soccer Club. The Lil’ Strikers, a U-8 Boys soccer team from the SPSC, is now the youngest crop of soccer talent in their association to win a major honor.
“Reporting South Philadelphia the way it deserves”
The team scored a championship victory at the 21st annual Emil Schillinger Thanksgiving Tournament at the Parkwood Youth Organization Complex. For the local team, it was the first championship title of any type for this team of six-, seven- and eight-yearolds. They now join their older members on the club honors list of championship winners. “Looking back at when we first got together over the summer, I really didn’t know what we had,” said head coach Mark Casasanto. “To (Cont. Page 16)
Value 50¢
December 3, 2009
Kids At Vare Really Care
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Bok Student ‘Health Care Hero’ Of 2009 by R. George Linton Forget the heroes and villains fighting over the health-care debate in Washington, D.C. In South Philadelphia, we have our own “Healthcare Hero” making news. Keri Ann Browne, a Bok Technical HS 12th-grade student, was named the Pennsylvania Center for Health Careers Healthcare Hero for Philadelphia Co. Browne’s award was announced in connection with Pennsylvania Health Careers Week, which ran in November and is designed to help combat a potential shortage of health-care professionals in Pennsylvania. The Life Science Career Alliance sponsored the careers week (Cont. Page 2)
94 Students Collect 254 Cans Of Food For School Families
Mummers Strut For The Homeless
by Rory McGlasson There’s no doubt children will do absolutely anything to go to the movies. That proved to be the case at Vare MS last week, as students were given a chance to watch a free move in the auditorium, if they could show their Thanksgiving spirits during a school food-drive The 94 kids did not disappoint. Rounding up 254 cans from their local neighborhoods in just three days, the 5th–to-8th graders from the 23rd & Snyder school made some (Cont. Page 2)
Four of South Philly’s favorite mummers and String Band will come together, tomorrow night to help fight homelessness. The 2nd Street Irish Society Pipes & Drums Band, the Mummers Chorus led by director Joe Schubert, and a String Band finale by the Mickey Finn Band will put on a show at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Holy Name Society, at its annual concert to benefit the homeless. The concert starts at 6 p.m. and (Cont. Page 16)
BOK TECHNICAL HS student Keri Ann Browne, left, received ‘Healthcare Hero’ award from Penna. Center for Health Careers. She was nominated by Mary Ann Sewell, right, a school nurse at Bok.
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STUDENTS AT VARE MS join their principal, Rachel Marianno, volunteers from Universal Companies and City Wide Organization, and representatives from the Office of State Sen. Anthony Williams, to give out turkey dinners to families of children at the school. The 94 children collected 254 cans during a Thanksgiving food-drive in just three days.
Jim Stevenson 9371 ROOSEVELT BLVD. PHILADELPHIA, PA 19114 215-698-7000 JStevenson@ChapmanAutoGroup.com