2008 Homeless USA Cup/ An Amazing Weekend

Concrete2Green is truly honored that we were invited to be a part of the 2008 Homeless USA Cup in DC, where the true spirit of Urban Street Soccer was on display.

C2G Exhibition & Poetry Open Mic

During the Homeless USA Cup, Concrete2Green entertained, inspired hearts and opened ears. C2G presented the FC Harlem & Homeless USA National Team exhibition and brought out Delrica Andrews, DC’s very own Poetry Slam Master & Slam Master for the 11th Hour Poetry Slam, to inspire the players and crowd with her poetry and words of enlightenment.

Irv Hanging Out

Irv Smalls hanging with Steve Nash & Thierry Henry in NY at the after party of the Showdown in Chinatown.

C2G Getting Involved

For Immediate Release

C2G & Street Soccer USA:
"Homeless USA Cup"

Charlotte, NC- June 28, 2008 – Concrete2Green, LLC, a socially conscious marketing firm that uses innovative and eco friendly strategies to grow the sport of soccer in US inner cities and urban communities, was born in Harlem, NY and is headquartered in Charlotte, NC.

In its efforts to use soccer as an agent for social change & building support for the homeless, Concrete2Green has partnered with Street Soccer USA. Street Soccer USA is the leading organizer of the Homeless USA Cup and the Homeless US National Team, and is currently housed at Urban Ministry’s in Charlotte, NC.

Street Soccer USA will host its 2008 USA Homeless Cup this year in the nations capital Washington DC, June 26th – 28th 2008 at Kastles Stadium @ the Old Conversation Center, 11th and H Street, Washington DC 21008. www.streetsoccerusa.com

As a part of the Homeless USA Cup, Concrete2Green will host a number of events, including the final leg of the Rise Sport-FC Harlem Tour, where FC Harlem will take on the Homeless USA National team. Additionally, there will be a freestyle soccer exhibition and a poetry open mic featuring Mario Rocha (Sixth Son Productions) & Delrica Andrews (DC Slam Master). Events will take place on Saturday June 28, 2008 from 3 – 6pm.

The Homeless USA Cup has approximately 100 players from 12 cities from San Francisco to Atlanta that will compete for the US Cup trophy and for a spot on the US National Team. Spectators will witness great determination and learn to see homelessness in a whole new light.

Concrete2Green’s mission is to revolutionize the way that soccer is played, viewed and thought of in the U.S. and to be the driving force behind urban soccer – a new landscape on which soccer is played that is directly linked to the culture of urban life: www.concrete2green.com

Speaking the International Language of Soccer

For Immediate Release

Charlotte, NC- June 9, 2008 - Concrete2Green, LLC (C2G), a grassroots organization founded in Harlem, New York and headquartered in Charlotte, NC, is the Corporate Envoy of ground level social work for the excessively paved 21st century city . A maverick in community building, C2G utilizes futsal, the international moniker for freestyle street soccer, as their vehicle for social change. The company enters once abandoned fields of recreation in urban areas and revitalizes them, giving cities safe, pristine Edens for play. C2G support's "green" initiatives in the inner city, promoting healthier living while addressing environmental concerns. The fresh locales serve as a central hub for community, culture and creativity, returning a sense of kinship and pride back to the inner city.

C2G's co-founders, Akbar Majeed and Irvine Smalls, Jr., are revolutionizing not only how soccer is perceived, but how it is played. The company's deeply held conviction is that soccer is not just a sport; it is an approach to metropolitan altruism. Futsal is a new concept to the American soccer enthusiast, and C2G assumes the mantle of Ambassador, popularizing the international soccer phenomenon in the U.S.

"Outside of the obvious reasons why sports are good for youth, particularly inner city youth (keeps them focus, provide structure, helps fight obesity and the list goes on) our organization allows us to expose and attach them to the global community," Smalls explains. "This will broaden their experiences, and let them see that there are opportunities beyond their neighborhoods and the borders of the U.S."

C2G is about accessibility, stimulating a climate of inclusion where youth (particularly those of African, African American and Latino descent) from traditionally neglected communities are given the same opportunities as their suburban counterparts. C2G will orchestrate the rebirth of soccer in order to level the playing field in myriad ways. Via C2G's "GreenTop Initiative," the company provides more than the opportunity to learn about the game of soccer, it will ensure positive community involvement, encourage athletic activity and give children an opportunity to learn about different cultures, opening a new world that extends past their city block. For more information, visit http://www.concrete2green.com