Tim Howard needs votes to help kids through the Pepsi Refresh Project at www.ussoccer.com/pepsirefresh
June 1, 2010- Tim Howard wants kids with special needs to be able to have their own voice. That’s why he’s appearing in a new video to promote the Pepsi Refresh Project at USSoccer.com. The goalkeeper, who is preparing for the World Cup in South Africa, will help the New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome win $50,000 to establish a youth Advocacy Academy if he receives the most votes.
“As many as 1 in 100 kids have Tourette syndrome – most of them undiagnosed, misdiagnosed and misunderstood,” says Howard, who also has Tourette Syndrome. “With the Pepsi Refresh Project grant we can make a difference and help provide much needed resources for these children and their families.” Kids with Tourette Syndrome have to deal with the stigma attached to this disorder, which often leads to isolation and bullying. The NJCTS Advocacy Academy will help all kids, regardless of their limitations, stand up and speak up for themselves.
Howard, who was raised in New Jersey, is giving back to the Garden State by calling attention to the work of NJCTS and spotlighting the needs of all children learning to cope with bullying, stigma and other self-advocacy challenges that present in childhood, adolescence and beyond.
To vote, visit www.ussoccer.com/pepsirefresh now through June 12th.