Leicester City Football Club makes dreams come true for San Diego teen fighting leukemia
BALTIMORE, MD – The Leicester City Football Club (LCFC) didn’t let relegation pressures or preparation for the UEFA Champions League Quarter-Finals prevent them from providing Travis Hackett, a 13-year-old fan fighting leukemia, with a VIP experience of a lifetime.
As the 13th honoree of the Craig Willinger Fund, Travis Hackett arrived at King Power Stadium for the reigning Premier League Champions April 4 fixture versus Sunderland. Expecting to enjoy the match from the stands with his father, Tim, the young LCFC Foxes fan was instead surprised by the news that he would serve as Captain’s mascot and lead out the team at the start of the match.
Travis’s VIP experience also included an on-field pregame kick about, an exclusive locker room meet-and-greet with the team, and access to seats in the Director’s Box. Leicester City left no detail behind, mentioning Travis in the match day program, and announcing his attendance to fans in the stadium and fans tuned in to BBC Radio Leicester’s live broadcast.
Travis’s visit to Leicester was rounded out by a “Fearless Foxes” fan tour hosted by Alex Smith of the 100% LCFC fanzine. His tour included pizza at Peter’s Pizzeria – a popular player hangout – and a trip to the Forever Fearless Murals – an amazing collection of street art created as tribute to the club and their 2015-16 Premier League Championship season.
“Leicester City Football Club really stepped it up for us and provided probably one of the best experiences we’ve ever had for an honoree,” shared board member and trip chaperone Johanna Agueda during a BBC Radio Leicester interview. “The Craig Willinger Fund is very excited to be a part of this and is really happy to have Travis able to come to here.”
The Craig Willinger Fund seeks to improve the lives of children and young adults stricken with cancer and other critical illnesses by providing once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to experience soccer—both domestically and abroad. Since 2010, honorees have traveled to South Africa, Barcelona, Milan, London, Madrid, New York City, Manchester, and Brazil, including world-class events like the FIFA Men’s World Cup and the UEFA Champions League Final. To learn more about the CWFund or make a donation, please visit www.cwfund.org.
Follow up on the excitement of Travis’s dream trip at www.facebook.com/cwfund, on Twitter @theCWFund using #cwftravis, and on the CWFund YouTube channel.
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FOR MEDIA INQUIRIES CONTACT:
Emily Agueda
443.739.6875
emily@cwfund.org