Glacier United girls headed to Europe

A Whitefish girls soccer team will be heading to Europe next summer to participate in an international soccer tournament. The team will travel to Barcelona, Spain, to compete in soccer matches with teams from around the world.

This is the second time Whitefish High School soccer coach Lini Reading will take a Glacier United soccer team to Europe to experience soccer on an international scale.

"For many of these girls, this is the only chance they will have to experience soccer outside the United States," Reading said. "These girls will be varsity players in a couple of years, and how wonderful for them to learn skills they can use throughout high school."

Fundraising efforts for travel expenses kicked off in November.

"The community has already shown great support for our girls," said Dale Bax, fundraising co-chairman.

A snow package consisting of a new pair of men's or women's skis and new men's or women's snowboards donated by Rossignol will be raffled through December to help support the trip.

"It's reaffirming to see these girls work for something they want. It's a real team effort," Bax said.

The soccer team has manned concession stands, sold Herberger's coupons and sold raffle tickets at the ski swap in an effort to raise the needed money to make this trip come true.

The team will be touring with Euro-Sportring, an organization that has hosted more than a thousand teams since its inception in the 1970s. The trip will consist of sightseeing tours and friendly matches in Amsterdam and a five-day soccer tournament in Barcelona.

Anyone interested in making a tax deductible donation can contact Bax at 862-6341 or Henry Cross at 863-9835.