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New Haven veteran groups raise money to send soccer balls to kids overseas

The foundation is continuing the legacy of Nick Madaras, a soldier from Wilton who was killed in the line of duty.

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — The New Haven American Legion and VFW are raising money to send soccer balls to kids around the world in honor of a fallen soldier.

They’re partnering with the Kick for Nick Foundation, which has distributed soccer balls to places as far as Central America and the Middle East.

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The foundation is continuing the legacy of Nick Madaras, a soldier from Wilton who was killed in the line of duty.

Nick’s father, Bill Madaras, said his son had a passion for soccer and a heart for giving back.

“He always liked kids and he coached his little brother’s team," Bill said. "Right up to the time he went in the army he coached 10-year-old kids and he just loved it."

He told FOX61 that Nick asked his family to send some soccer balls to him after seeing Iraqi children light up while playing the game. He was fascinated to see them make their own soccer balls, but that all changed on September 3rd, 2006.

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“It was a bad time in Iraq when he went back and one month after the day he left, he was killed and we never got to get him any soccer balls so that was September 3,” Bill said.

Nick never got the chance to give a child overseas a soccer ball, but a man from Wilton took up the cause in his honor.

It's a cause that his father, the American Legion and VFW continue today.

“We have veterans that have collected on the front end and distributed on the back end and handed soccer balls to underprivileged kids around the world,” Charles Pickett with VFW New Haven said. “We served our country, we can still serve our communities and our country and our world.”

The event this year marks the 11th annual Kick for Nick charity event.

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Elisha Machado is a reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at emachado@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

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