Davao football plays for flood victims in DFAid II

There is a reason to go back to the field on Christmas eve.

Football players will play a weekend more on Saturday, this time to raise funds for the flood victims of the devastating Sendong which recently hit Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City and claimed some 1,000 lives.

Dubbed DFAid II, the fun games will be staged at the Davao Crocodile Park football complex with four football fields playing simultaneous games. It will be the second DFAid football-for-a-cause after the first one last July 7 to help raise donations for the flood victims of Matina.

DFAid II is organized by the Davao Football Community and Bravetower Events Promotions in cooperation with Davao Football Association (DFA), Davao Crocodile Park, Mindanao Travel Channel, and ABS-CBN.

“Yes, we are going back to the football field on Christmas eve to help the flood victims. We celebrated our Christmas party on the same day the floods hit Cagayan de Oro and we felt we need to go back and play, not to celebrate but to help,” said Boboy Arrieta of the DFC after declaring that there will be football games this Saturday.

The DFC has already declared no games on Saturday after the completion of the three-leg DFC tournament and its Christmas party last Sunday.

As of last count, more than 1,000 perished in what could be the most devastating calamity in Mindanao.

Neil Bravo of sports firm Bravetower said he spoke to Davao Crocodile Park Football Academy coach Christian Ea who was in Cagayan de Oro with the Metro TMS club in the ongoing Philippine Futsal League Mindanao and was told of the situation in the calamity-hit city. Bravo was told by Ea that there were even reports that there were some players and referees whose families also perished in the floods.

“We hope that our football community will respond the way they did during the first DFAid. Maybe even more this time because of the gravity of the situation and the spirit of the Christmas season,” Bravo said. He added that Davao Crocodile Park president Sonny Dizon expressed elation over the social responsibility shown by the sports community.

ABS-CBN Davao through DXAB head Andy Rara already responded to receive and deliver the donations to Cagayan de Oro.

DFAid II will be a fun games format with teams playing 7-a-side. All four fields will be used simultaneously. Registration will be P500 per team with all proceeds going to the flood donations. Players and even non-players are encouraged to bring foodstuff, clothing, and bottled water which are the immediate need of the flood victims.

DFAid I was among the first sports-driven project to help raise relief goods and donations to flood victims during the June 25 flashfloods in Davao.