Celebrate the Tatas: Kicking Cancer to the Curb

For the past 11 years, with the exception of a COVID-19-induced hiatus in 2020, the North Carolina Adult Soccer Association (NCASA) and Celebrate the Tatas have partnered to host the Celebrate the Tatas Tournament of Champions. This creative, community-driven initiative, officially called the Celebrate the Tatas Soccer Tournament of Women Champions, has evolved over the years to support a vital cause.

Held each October in conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the soccer tournament unites women from seven Southeastern states, including North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, Tennessee, and Florida. The event’s growth into a tournament spanning multiple states reflects the passion and dedication of all involved.

These women gather in North Carolina to compete both on and off the pitch. Their goal? To raise breast cancer awareness and essential funds for mammograms for uninsured and underinsured women. It’s heartening to witness the lasting impact this has on providing vital mammogram services for these patients.

NCASA and the Tatas created this tournament to bridge divides of age, race, religion, and the growing disparities within communities. “The weekend experience is a way of equalizing the gap between those fortunate enough to have insurance and those without access to healthcare,” said a tournament organizer.

Now in its 11th year, the Tatas (as they are affectionately known) shifted focus during the COVID-19 pandemic, redirecting funds raised to the local Charlotte community to support uninsured patients. The impact has been significant: in the past four years, they’ve donated over $300,000 to fund local mammograms.

Female soccer enthusiasts from across the Southeast compete to raise funds that provide life-saving mammograms at Levine Cancer Institute and Novant Health. The weekend tournament is a vibrant affair filled with laughter, camaraderie, inspiration, speeches, tears, and motivation. Participants face unpredictable weather—be it heat or rain—enjoy raffles, meals, a children’s corner, and a tournament dinner. The event relies heavily on the support of dedicated volunteers.

This year, the Tatas are honoring two remarkable women: Rabbi Judy Schindler and Susan Kent. Both are breast cancer survivors and motivational figures in the community, embodying the resilience that the tournament celebrates.

To support this worthy cause and honor Rabbi Schindler and Susan Kent, community members are encouraged to donate. The honorees will be notified of each contribution made in their honor. As the organizers put it, it’s time to join in “kicking cancer to the curb!”

For more information about the tournament or to make a donation in honor of Rabbi Judy and Susan Kent, please visit CelebrateTheTatas.org. Your support can ensure more women have access to potentially life-saving mammograms, regardless of their insurance status.

Photo caption: With John Motta – President of the United States Adult Soccer Association (Tatas 2023), Talia Goldman – Co Founder Celebrate the Tatas, and Sam Cohen – President of North Carolina Adult Soccer Association