Tampa Bay Rowdies To Host Toy Drive

ST. PETERSBURG, FL – The Tampa Bay Rowdies are looking to strike back against childhood cancer with the help of a young Valrico resident.

The USL team is partnering with 9-year-old Addison Kapustiak and her nonprofit, Sending Smiles, for a toy drive at its Saturday, April 19 match against the Ottawa Fury. The match is set for 7:30 p.m. at Al Lang Stadium, 230 First St. SE in St. Petersburg.

The toy drive will kick off the Rowdies’ annual #GoldTogether campaign to bring awareness to pediatric cancer during September. All toys will be donated to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg.

The #GoldTogether campaign itself was inspired by another area youngster. Cole Eicher, the St. Petersburg teen who was diagnosed with brain cancer when he was 12, started the campaign with the Rowdies in 2015.

Like Eicher, Kapustiak has also spent time at All Children’s Hospital. She lives with a rare disease called Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Associated Periodic syndrome, which causes her body to produce too much of a particular protein. Kapustiak visits the hospital every other week to get infusion treatments.

On one visit, Kaputsiak noticed the hospital’s prize closet was nearly empty. Patients at the hospital get to choose a toy out of the prize closet when they finish a treatment. Kautsiak began a small toy drive to refill the closet, and has now grown into the nonprofit Sending Smiles.

Sending Smiles donation boxes will be placed outside the main gates at the match against the Fury. Fans can donate new, unused toys in original packaging or new books.

Tropical Smoothie Café will offer ½ off smoothies and Tijuana Flats will offer $5 Flats Cash for fans who bring a toy.

For tickets to the Aug. 19 match, call (727) 222-2000 or visit http://www.rowdiessoccer.com/. For more information on donating toys to All Children’s Hospital, visit http://www.hopkinsallchildrens.org/foundation/ways-to-give/donate-toys.

Image courtesy of the Tampa Bay Rowdies