Long Beach youth were surprised with FIFA World Cup tickets, thanks to California Resources Corporation

Long Beach youth were surprised with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity – a chance to attend an upcoming FIFA World Cup match at Sofi Stadium for free.

The California Resources Corporation, headquartered in Long Beach, alongside local community partners and youth-serving organizations, hosted a special World Cup ticket surprise event on Monday, June 8, for local children at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Long Beach.

The 20 selected children and teens were practicing their soccer skills in the gym at the Eastman Clubhouse on Monday afternoon when their coach asked them to huddle for an announcement. The kids sat on the floor and were attentive as President and CEO of California Resources Corporation Francisco Leon, alongside Don Rodriguez, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Long Beach, and Third District Councilmember Kristina Duggan, presented the World Cup tickets.

Many of the kids’ mouths dropped and others smiled in excitement when they heard the news, and all of them clapped in gratitude.

“It’s so special. It’s truly one of the best things about my job is doing things like this,” Leon said in an interview. “Today, we got to do a super fun, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We find different ways to engage the community and really be supportive of our youth and really investing in that next generation.”

CRC is California’s leading energy and carbon management company, providing responsibly produced local energy while advancing carbon capture projects that support a lower-carbon future, according to its website.

This event is part of a broader initiative through which CRC is donating FIFA World Cup tickets to youth-serving organizations across California communities, officials said. The initiative is designed to create memorable opportunities for young people who otherwise may not have the chance to experience one of the world’s most celebrated sporting events.

As part of its long-standing commitment to the communities where its employees live and work, CRC is proud to invest in programs and experiences that create meaningful local impact, officials said.

“They’ve been a strong sponsor of ours, this isn’t the first time,” Rodriguez said about CRC’s support. “Our ‘Youth of the Year,’ which is our flagship program, they are always there to support that.

“When this opportunity came, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for these kids and looking at their faces when he announced it and the look of joy and excitement that this is real, it was neat to see,” Rodriguez added. “It’s so special to give kids who would never have an opportunity like this. It takes a company that’s special in the community and that does so much for the community, not only for the Boys & Girls Club but other organizations, to give back it means a lot.”

The Boys & Girls Club children and teens were selected not only for their athletic skills, but also for their hard work and good grades, officials said.

“Young people who really are outstanding in athletics, but as well as, their academics, their characters and those are the things we need to look at to support,” Duggan said, “because these kids deserve to be supported and celebrated by getting something special like these World Cup tickets.”

The tickets will be for the children and teens, as well as their coach and chaperones, to attend the Monday, June 15, match between Iran and New Zealand. Their tickets also include a parking pass and food as well.

“We’re hoping this is truly one of those memories that they always take with them and they use as motivation to really fuel their drive,” Leon said. “I think that the World Cup can do that and to see it on the big stage, it’ll be a fun time.”

Many of the older youth understood the significance of this surprise and expressed their excitement.

Rafael Medina, 13, who has been with the Boys & Girls Club for two years, said that he loves soccer and he’s been playing it all his life.

“Never,” Medina said about the possibility of attending the World Cup. “I always thought like man these tickets are too expensive, and now they surprised us and I’m shocked and I’m thrilled.”

For a teen like Sam Cho, 13, this will be an exciting opportunity to see where her passion for soccer can take her, and being part of the Boys & Girls Club and going to see the FIFA World Cup is making that dream of becoming a professional soccer player a real possibility.

“When I’m playing, everything else in the world goes away,” Cho said about playing soccer. She said that she is looking forward to seeing all the players and “being able to see that with hard work you can really go pro.”