VFI's 'Give Breast Cancer The Boot' All Female Football Tournament is a breast cancer awareness football tournament taking place at UWI SPEC on Sunday.
The busy event includes a 10-team women's football tournament, a celebrity football match, food tents, door prizes and giveaways, plus information booths manned by breast cancer charities.
There will also be children's entertainment in the form of jugglers, face painting and bouncy castles and music supplied by the Red Bull DJ truck.
This event is being hosted by Vision Forward International, a football-based organisation founded by former World Cup footballer, Brent Sancho.
"This event is about bringing the community together to celebrate life while raising awareness of breast cancer and providing information on how to detect and conquer this disease." said Sancho.
"Almost everyone of us has a family member or friend who has been affected by breast cancer. This is your chance to come along and show your support, have fun, gain knowledge and help to raise some funds".
The event is being supported by several local businesses including Japs On The Move, Sagicor, and Castro's Bar and Restaurant in Arima. Famous names playing in the Castro's Cup celebrity football match include DJ Sunny Bling, Synergy TV's Serala, 107.1fm's Ashleia and Soca Warriors Stern John, Brent Sancho and Cyd Gray.
Each team will have a minimum of 5 female celebrities. Castro's Restaurant & Sports Bar Chief Operations Officer Anthony Yorke says: "On behalf of myself and Michael St John I would like to say we are honoured to be part of this Initiative taken by VFI and UWI to raise the awareness of the third leading cause of death in Trinidad & Tobago. We know that this event will be a success and the goal will be achieved.
Nariya Baksh, member of VFI's management team who organised the event said "This will be a fantastic day. We wanted to ensure that the event be fun for everyone, even though there is a serious underlying message" She said VFI has received tremendous support for the event.
"Of course, UWI SPEC has been amazing in allowing us use of their facilities and we've also had many companies contacting us to offer support such as Coca Cola, Blue Waters, Bhagwansinghs, Gossip Apparel etc.
It's great to see the generosity and social responsibility of these companies" Baksh also said that there will be the opportunity for women to receive health checks on the day "We will have a private 'pink' booth set up where doctors will give free health checks to ladies between 11am and 2pm".
The football tournament organiser Lorraine Waldropt-Ferguson, player-manager of the VF Ladies football team said "This 10-team tournament is believed to be the biggest football competition of its kind. Its 11-a-side football on a full size pitch and we're excited about the quality of women's football that will be on show" Waldropt-Ferguson said that the teams represent all areas of Trinidad. "We have teams from as far as Sangre Grande as well as the National Under 17's."
The event kicks off at 9am and should close around 6pm. Sancho said " We are delighted that our guest of honour is Wayne Frederick, M.D., Director of Howard University's Cancer Centre." Dr Frederick, a Trinidadian who has made his name in the U.S. cancer field as a gifted surgeon was named in Ebony magazines' Power 100 in 2010 for "working to educate and save lives when it comes to cancer". Sancho said "Its free entry to the event, so we're expecting a big crowd. But please, walk with some change because we're hoping to raise at least $10,000 for breast cancer charities"