FORT MILL, S.C. (Sept. 15, 2014) — Continental Tire the Americas L.L.C. has donated 1,000 soccer balls to a charity founded by a teenager to help children in developing countries.
Fifteen-year-old Ethan King's Charity Ball has hand-delivered more than 4,500 new soccer balls to kids in 22 developing countries, Conti said.
Continental, which is the official tire of Major League Soccer, U.S. Soccer and the 2014 FIFA World Cup, has donated 1,000 Adidas soccer balls for Mr. King to distribute.
“What Ethan has done in five short years is amazing,” said Travis Roffler, director of marketing for Continental Tire. “Taking his passion for the game of soccer and turning that into a successful cause marketing campaign at just 10 years old, is commendable. We're proud to support Ethan and Charity Ball and hope that others will do the same.”
Mr. King was 10 years old when he travelled with his father to Mozambique. He had taken his soccer ball with him in hopes of a spontaneous pickup game and ended up giving his ball to some local children.
He said he immediately saw how this simple gesture impacted the lives of the kids he met and Charity Ball was born.
Conti said its donation will help Mr. King reach his dream of providing a new soccer ball to every child around the world who loves the game. He said he has received reports of his efforts helping reduce crime rates, uniting communities and helping girls finally be able to play the game of soccer.
Mr. King has partnered with Neven Subotica, a member of the German team Borussia Dortmund, to document a trip to rural Mozambique in an 8-minute documentary short called “Pass the Ball.”