TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — 16-year-old, Wade Crum, has made dozens of passes in his young soccer career. Now, he's making a different kind of "pass."
"I looked into my closet and saw the mountains of soccer equipment and regular clothing pile up from over the years. I thought, this has to go someone. It can't go to waste," said Crum.
Crum started donating his outgrown clothes and soccer gear to kids in need. In an effort to get others involved, he founded his own, non-profit, Pass It On.
"I collect and redistribute soccer equipment to benefit those who need it," said Crum.
The teen recently made even more progress. He is helping kids in Southern Arizona by partnering with professional men's soccer team and club, FC Tucson.
"Most of our audience that come to these games skew pretty heavily with the youth soccer community. We know that is a very vibrant community here. What we wanted to be able to do is manage the bins for Pass It On," said FC Tucson President, Amanda Powers.
At every home game for the rest of the 2021 season, FC Tucson will collect new or gently used cleats, balls, shorts, jerseys, socks and other items. Without the proper gear, many kids are held back from trying out a sport.
"A lot of times there are barriers in sports because someone can't afford cleats for their kids and can't afford the gear. When you're a kid and you're showing up to something new, you want to look like everybody else," said Powers.
FC Tucson and Pass It On will distribute the donated gear to youth organizations across Southern Arizona.
"They can leave feeling more confident. Hopefully it will spark their interest to want to get a little more involved with the sport," said Powers.
To learn more about Pass It On and how to get involved, click here.
