Soccer Aid 2016 was nearly one week ago but the stories, photos, and videos from the big charity match keep coming in. From snaps of both teams on the field having a blast to photos and videos from training week and the big winner’s celebration – there was a lot of laughter, happiness, and pride to go around.
Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan were two of the most anticipated players on the Soccer Aid line up in 2016, at least for pop culture. Seeing the names of two members of One Direction, who are currently on hiatus, taking part in a charity match wasn’t surprising – the boys are always finding ways to enhance the lives of others – and while the big gesture, playing the match for Unicef was the most important part of the event, Louis showed some kindness in another incredible way too.
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There were gifs and photos soon after the match of Louis interacting with the “match mascots” and they made our hearts melt, but Louis isn’t one for doing anything in small capacity. Once we learned how sweet he was to Summer, the girl who stood on the pitch with him, we found yet another reason to sing his praises. For any child, the feeling of walking onto a pitch must be exhilarating and also a bit nerve-wracking – for Summer, who is profoundly deaf, those feelings intensified. Louis took note of that and spent the time he had with her reassuring her and making sure she felt safe, and while it may seem like a small gesture to some, it’s one Summer and her family will remember always.
You can still donate to Unicef to support their initiative to make the world safer for children in need and until July 29th, all donations made will be matched by the UK Government. The compassionate hearts of the players who battled it out during Soccer Aid are driven by the stories of the lives of children that will be saved by your donations, those hearts include Louis, Niall, Olly Murs and Jack Whitehead just to name a few. Join in alongside them and make a difference!