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4/2/11 SKF Reveals Surprise to Senior Leaders
SURPRISE ANNOUNCEMENT: LOCALLY HEADQUARTERED SKF USA TELLS 17 STARFINDER SOCCER PLAYERS THEY WILL TRAVEL TO SWEDEN FOR GLOBAL TOURNAMENT
April 2, 2011 -- Philadelphia - A stunning announcement was made at the close of today's soccer tournament at Starfinder in Manayunk: SKF USA Inc. - the Swedish company with US headquarters in the Philadelphia area and sponsor of the tournament, will send 17 Starfinder players to Sweden this summer to play in the Gothia Cup, the largest youth soccer tournament in the world.
"The children have worked very hard at both their soccer skills and academics," said Poul Jeppesen, President & CEO, SKF USA Inc. "We felt it was important to have a Philadelphia presence at the Gothia Cup, with which we have a long history. Who better represents Philadelphia than the Starfinder players?"
Starfinder is a nonprofit that pairs athletic instruction with a range of educational and enrichment programs, delivered after school during the academic year and at summer programs. Annually Starfinder works with approximately 700-800 children and youth, ages 6-18, representing residents of some of the city's most profoundly underserved communities.
"We are grateful to have committed partners like SKF that can provide this kind of opportunity for our kids," said Steve Baumann, President and CEO of Starfinder. "Social change through soccer is a global mission that Starfinder is proud to be a part of. It is something we talk about here at Starfinder, in our curriculum's emphasis on character education and global awareness. The experience of participating in the Gothia Cup will really drive home what these participants have learned here at Starfinder."
Social change through soccer means many things in many countries, depending on the living conditions and the plight of people who live there. In Philadelphia, Starfinder is promoting social change through athletic, educational and personal development programs to help young people from underserved communities achieve success both on and off the soccer field.
Saturday's tournament featured 8 teams of between 7 and 8 players, for a total of nearly 60 participants. The team traveling to Sweden will be determined by an essay competition and soccer skills.
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About SKF USA Inc.: SKF USA Inc., headquartered in Lansdale, PA, is part of the SKF Group, a leading global supplier of bearings, seals, mechatronics, lubrication systems and services that include technical support, maintenance and reliability services, engineering consulting and training. SKF is represented in more than 130 countries and has 15,000 distributor locations worldwide. Annual sales in 2010 were $9.1 billion and the number of employees was 44,742. www.skfusa.com
About Gothia Cup and Meet the World: Gothia Cup is a venue for boys and girls, regardless of gender, social background, age, culture, and religion, to meet and enjoy playing soccer. It is the largest youth soccer tournament in the world, and SKF is the main partner of the event.Every year, more than 35,000 boys and girls from 70 countries travel to Gothenburg, Sweden to participate in the tournament.In addition, SKF is extending the Gothia Cup by hosting more meeting places in 20 countries around the world through a soccer tournament program they call "Meet the World."For more information: www.gothiacup.com
About Starfinder: GOAL! Starfinder's soccer, educational and personal development programs inspire young people from underserved communities to achieve success both on and off the field. Starfinder promotes youth leadership, a love of learning, the benefits of teamwork and the rewards of commitment and responsibility. www.starfinderfoundation.org
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