CLARK FREEPORT -- Luen Thai Philippines is hosting the First Luen Thai Cup for the benefit of the Tuloy Foundation.
The football cup will be staged this October.
Raymond Tan, one of the company’s owners, created the Luen Thai Football School in 2013 as part of the company’s I.Serve.I.Give.Back initiative.
The football school aims to teach less fortunate children within the community, and dependents of its employees, through social and personal development through sports.
The football school aims to maximize the character building potential of the sport through focus and discipline and creating better citizens through football.
The LFS started out with more than 40 kids in its summer program.
Kids from LT-Verte, Philippine Air Force and Clark Development Corporation dependents, had their first taste of football from the Luen Thai Football School.
As years progressed, so did the players and consequently the program.
During the summer program, the school eventually reached out to the indigenous community, as there were Aeta kids who eventually joined the program, walking to and fro their mountain communities in order to participate in the football program.
In the summer program of 2015 two of the original 40-plus kids went on to be trainers of their younger brothers and sisters in the program, as apprentice coaches.
Robert Alvior, Jr. and Kim Ladines both got full scholarships from Arellano University under their football program.
Up to now, they drop by the training sessions just to get help in coaching the younger players.
With the success of the football program in Clark, the Luenthai Football School decided to take a step further in promoting football outside of Clark.
In 2014 The Luen Thai Football School reached out its helping hand to Tuloy sa Don Bosco in Alabang, adopting the foundation’s football program by renovating the existing field, providing coaches, uniforms, shoes and equipments for the Tuloy kids.
With the success of the Tuloy sa Don Bosco adoption, the school then reached out to kids closer to home.
The Bahay-Bata Center was adopted by the football school at the start of 2015.
Before the renovation and overhaul began, Luenthai football set its sights to teach and educate the kids in Bahay-Bata as well.
Now, with the current turnover of Bahay Bata Center to Tuloy Foundation and the current need for extra help, the Luen Thai Football School is holding a fund-raising tournament for Tuloy Bahay Bata.
The First Luen Thai Cup will feature almost a hundred teams from across Pampanga, Luzon and Metro Manila with over a thousand football players, enthusiasts, friends and family members gracing the event.
The event will be held at the CDC Parade Grounds on October 3 to 4.
All proceeds of the tournament will be donated to Tuloy Bahay Bata.
It will be a good day for football but a better day to aid in the development of Tuloy Bahay Bata.
The Tuloy Foundation, which will run the Bahay Bata Center, was founded in 1993 by Fr. Marciano "Rocky" G. Evangelista.
It is committed to the cause of poor, abandoned and homeless children.