The Nicole Cup 2010 gears up for fun, soccer and fundraising

By Joe Dougherty

Make it happen.

Words of wisdom, and words to live by. That was certainly the case for Nicole Megaloudis, the daughter of former D.C. United coach Thomas Rongen and Virginia Commonwealth student and soccer player who died in a car accident on February 4, 2004.

Known for her giving heart, Nicole had a passion to help children in Africa and Haiti. Her dream lives on in the Nicole Megaloudis Foundation, founded by Nicole’s mother, Gail Rongen, who vowed to fulfill her daughter\'s dreams and help children that weren\'t as fortunate as her own.

The Nicole Megaloudis Foundation was established to assist students who hope to attend and graduate college. Scholarships are awarded based upon leadership qualities and demonstration of financial need.

One key part of the Foundation’s fundraising efforts is The Nicole Cup, a tournament for recreation and Suburban Friendship League teams scheduled for May 29-30 (Memorial Day Weekend) at the Paul Hencken fields Potomac Lakes SportsPlex in Sterling, VA.

In 2005, 2007 and 2009 the Nicole Cup and Silent Auction raised nearly $90,000 for the Nicole Megaloudis Foundation, enabling the Foundation to, award more than 25 scholarships to local students.

Scholarship winners in 2009 were Shannon Brady, Robbie Pullen, Cara Howard and Thara Salam.

Hosted by Sterling Youth Soccer Association, the tournament is open to boys and girls teams ages U-7 to U-14 and offers a 4 vs 4 format, with rosters of seven players per team. Each team is guaranteed three games.

Teams registering for the Nicole Cup do not need to come from the same recreational or Suburban Friendship League team.

Gail Rongen said that D.C. United veteran Jaime Moreno and his wife, Louise, have led the effort since the tournament’s inception in 2005.

“Every penny the foundation raises will go back into scholarships and, eventually, a well-thought out plan to aid the children of Haiti,” Rongen told Potomac Soccer Wire. “For the moment, our primary focus is scholarships.”

During the first Nicole Cup in 2005, Rongen remembers she “nervous about the whole event, and I knew it would be a bittersweet weekend. But when I saw all the kids playing, laughing, having fun - that was a testament to Nicole\'s legacy - it\'s what she would have wanted.”

This year’s tournament is the first that focuses on recreational league teams.

“We realized that these kids don\'t get much of an opportunity to participate in tournament play,” Rongen said. “The event is just a fun weekend for everyone. We hold a big silent auction during the tournament -- everything from autographed players’ jerseys, vacation homes in the Bahamas and Outer Banks, original artwork, personal services, training sessions by Jaime and Thomas, and opportunity to be part of a Comcast live broadcast [of D.C. United] at RFK.”

A number of D.C. United players also will be on hand at the tournament to sign autographs and hand out trophies to the tournament champions and finalists.

“It’s not every day you can meet your favorite D.C. United players up close and personal!” Rongen said.

For more details and to apply to The Nicole Cup, visit www.nicolecup.com