24 Hour Barefoot Soccer Tournament to prevent AIDS in Africa

A high school student in Boston spent the summer organizing a 24 hour soccer tournament to raise funds for African AIDS prevention programmes

The event is scheduled to take place on 8 September 2010 at 4pm local time at the Hunnewell Field in Wellesly, Massachusetts.

Owen Diana came up with the idea for the tournament after marveling at the skill and pace of the African teams during the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Dana was particularly fascinated with the skills of the Côte d'Ivoire team and created the tournament as a way to help the nations that had gained his admiration with their spectacular play.

Owen decided that players should play barefoot to show solidarity with African children who cannot afford shoes. Owen’s father helped organize the tournament which he describes as, “a true celebration of soccer, and we’re hopeful to raise some money for a great cause.”