BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — A group of friends launched the Buffalo Sports Project one year ago with one goal in mind: use soccer to strengthen the community.
Today, the free program serves more than 150 young people across Buffalo, and now organizers are asking the community for help keeping that momentum going.
In just a few weeks, the eyes of the world will turn to the World Cup. But on the West Side, the game is already bringing people together.
"It's very diverse on the West Side," said co-founder Abdi Salim. "I was with African people, African Americans, you get a mix of everything. Even now, if you check the demographics of the West Side, it's like 25 percent of everything."
Salim, a professional soccer player who moved to the United States in 2003, is one of the founders of Buffalo Sports Project.
"I climbed the ladder, and one thing I really took in from that ladder was the lack of resources in Buffalo," Salim said. "Buffalo is a place where it's kind of hard to make a name, especially with soccer."
Salim, along with co-founders Peter Massaquoi and August Finn, helped transform a vacant lot into a soccer field and build a strong network of mentors and coaches for students across Buffalo.
"If you know anything about the West Side of Buffalo, you know that we have a very large immigrant and refugee population," Finn said. "So, access to sports is something our community really needs."
Massaquoi said the program is also helping keep young people on the right path.
"I think there are a lot of children that were like me that didn't really know how to play or didn't know where to play," Massaquoi said. "Buffalo Sports Project keeps them out of trouble."
Buffalo Sports Project is looking for donations to help keep it going, as it relies entirely on community support. Organizers recently launched a GoFundMe campaign.
"The money isn't going to us, it's going to the kids and providing for the kids," Salim said. "People actually donated these goals right here, and it was a big help because you cannot play soccer without goals."
And with the World Cup around the corner, organizers said there couldn't be a better time to grow the program.
"The World Cup is a big deal. It only happens every four years," Salim said. "It's also a long month of showing our program, expanding our resources, and making sure the kids can enjoy soccer in Buffalo."
WATCH: 'Something our community really needs': Buffalo Sports Project empowers West Side youth
