LA Galaxy players in town for charity exhibition match with kids

MANILA, Philippines -- Some members of the LA Galaxy soccer team had an exhibition match with some children housed in the Tuloy Foundation.

Players of the professional soccer team, including Daniel Aguirre, Jalen Neal, Mauricio Cuevas and Edwin Cerillo, engaged in an exhibition match with some young football players of Tuloy Foundation in Muntinlupa City Saturday.

During Saturday's event, members of the team as well as Herbalife Nutrition gave members of the Tuloy Football Club (FC) some tips and tricks regarding the importance of nutrition in sports.

The team also gave Tuloy Foundation a check worth $17,500, or P978,000, as a donation.

Cerillo, the Galaxy's defensive midfielder, said that the team just wants to help the children succeed in life.

This will also help the youth achieve their dreams.

Fr. Rocky Evangelista, SDB, the founder of Tulyo Foundation, lauded Herbalife and LA Galaxy for the help they gave to the cause.

"The occassion that [some members of the] LA Galaxy that went here is a special surprise [and] donation because they made it as one of their celebration events," Evangelista told reporters in Filipino.

"It is a big help, because you have football players. We have 150 children playing football here," he added.

Evangelista bared that members of the Tuloy FC are just a part of the youth playing in the foundation.

There are a lot more others who play the sport, which, he said, is being used to teach values and correct character.

"Football is a necessary activity to form the character of the children... In life, there are a lot of varieties. So, the decision-making, you also learn in football. In football, you have to teach the proper values and discipline," the priest said.

"Football, for us, is a school for life. Everything -- determination, hard work, learning from others, teamwork -- which [are] after all the values you need to succeed in life," he added.

Tuloy Foundation was established back in 1993, which is committed to get poor, abandoned, homeless children off the streets.