Costa Rica Soccer Clubs Raise Money for Cancer

Written by Claire

La Liga, Saprissa and Heredia will star in a series of three 30-minute soccer games tonight during the 8th edition of “90 minutos por la vida” or “90 Minutes for Life”. The event, which will take place at the Ricardo Saprissa Stadium in Tibás, San Jose, invites these three teams to face off against each other to raise money for children with cancer.

Costa Rica Sports — Costa Rica Club Team Mascots Watch Last Year’s “90 min. for life”

Last year’s event collected about $60,000, which goes to the Fight Against Infantile Cancer Association (Alcci). The proceeds account for about 30% of the association’s yearly funding, which is spent on housing, medical attention, psychological assistance and help tracking appointments of children with cancer. According to Alcci, a new child is diagnosed with cancer about every three days in Costa Rica, which totals about 170 per year.

The event will open at 6:30pm with activities and games for the children directed by a clown. Then at 8pm, the youngsters will clear the field to make room for the main event.

Despite the friendly nature of the games, the event is part of the official soccer calendar, and the players take it quite seriously. The first game will kick off at 8pm between Heredia and La Liga. Next, Saprissa will take on Heredia at 8:35pm with the final game between La Liga vs. Saprissa at 9:10pm. In each game, a winner must be determined. So in the event of a tie, a 40-meter penalty shoot-out will take place in which the players get six seconds to advance and shoot.

Heredia and Saprissa have each won the event three times, while La Liga only claims one win. The games are often classified by rough and energetic play and therefore attract a large audience. The event costs between $4 and $12 to attend, and all proceeds go to Alcci.

Photo Courtesy of La Nacion.

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