By James Ashcroft

North Shore United’s annual major fundraiser was a huge success this year. A record attendance of 183 people helped bring in $23,000, a club record.

The Soccer Soirée was held at The River Club, Mequon on Feb. 16. The event included a silent and live auction, live music, food and a cash bar. Tickets costing $50 were made available to recreational and select club members of North Shore United. The event was also advertised and posted to community members but most in attendance were parents and coaches.

The Soccer Soirée, formerly known as the World Cup Café, has been in place for over 20 years. The event originally came about as a way for the club to raise money without making the boys and girls of the club go out into the community and sell items such as baked goods, pictures and clothing.

The verbal auction brought in most of the money from the fundraiser. A family of the North Shore United club donated a river margarita cruise for 30 people that went for $1,700. This huge success saw the same family donate another river margarita cruise that also went for $1,700. These two items from one family combined for a total of $3,400.

These items help bring the total money amount of the event up $5,000 from last year’s event.

The silent auction contained three different sets of items available for bidding. The first sets of items contained North Shore United and local business items that had been donated. The second set of items included baskets designed by the players of the teams. Each team came up with a theme and created the basket accordingly. Some of these items included a stay at the Wilderness in Wisconsin Dells, beach accessories, Dr. Dre Beats headphones and a Vera Bradley purse.

The Soirée isn’t just a fundraiser for North Shore United, helping make quality soccer available to children from U6-U23. The event also aims to bring the parents of the players closer together. The event gives the opportunity for parents to get to know one another outside the realm of soccer.  

The record-breaking event went down as a huge success and should help North Shore United grow on and off the field.

Next year’s event is already on the schedule, for Feb. 15 — mark your calendars now!