Local soccer player kicks in support to fight COVID-19

SEATTLE — A young Seattle soccer player is using her skills to fight the global pandemic. Now she’s encouraging others to work together and join the movement.

Ten-year-old Lucy Houser kicked in her support to fight the coronavirus with a 15-day juggling challenge.

“Why not do something that I love and help other people,” she said.

Lucy plays for the Seattle Celtic Soccer Club, but with the season on hold, she wanted to use the time to help her community. She decided to raise money for The Ventilator Project, an organization based in Boston that launched in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Its mission is to build and distribute affordable ventilators to solve the global shortage.

“I think not being able to breathe is really scary, so that’s why I decided to start,” Lucy said.

In 15 days, Lucy’s GoFundMe campaign raised more than $3,000. She asked people to pair their donation with her amount of juggles or make a one-time donation. The first day she had 795 juggles, the final day was 1,755. Her mother, Julie Houser, recorded the daily challenge.

“She’s always been very focused, so just her whole family and I are all very proud of her,” said Houser said.

The Houser family hopes this fundraiser will encourage others to start their own campaign to help fight the pandemic, working together to get through the crisis.

“Remember that we are all part of a community, and we need to take care of each other,” Julie Houser said.

At just 10 years old, Lucy has proven you are never too young to make a difference.

“If everyone wants to get this done sooner, then I think we should all try to contribute as much as we can to help,” she said.

If you want to learn more about the Ventilator Project that Lucy is supporting or make a donation, visit their website: https://theventilatorproject.org/

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