Asheville City Soccer Club is proud to acknowledge the four recipients of donations through the Next Eleven Fund, which was created to help revitalize and grow youth sports in Western North Carolina following the destruction of Hurricane Helene. The four organizations that received donations were Asheville Parks and Recreation, Madison County Parks and Recreation, Town of Fletcher Parks and Recreation, and the Charles D. Owen Babe Ruth Baseball and Softball Leagues.

“After Helene, when so much of life was on pause, one of the first signs of hope was seeing kids back outside, playing in the same streets and fields that had been underwater days before,” said Tim Blekicki, Chief Brand Officer of ACSC. “That kind of resilience reminded us who we are. Western North Carolina is strongest when we heal together and show our youth what community means. We’re proud to support the people who worked tirelessly to get our kids back into leagues and games, and proud to keep that spirit alive through these donations.” 

The Next Eleven Fund was established by ACSC in November of last year after the destruction that Hurricane Helene caused to youth sports fields and equipment across the region. Eleven percent of all sponsorship dollars and eleven dollars from every season ticket purchased for the 2025 season fueled the fund, which was aimed to help revitalize youth sports by helping replace lost and ruined equipment and to rebuild fields and parks. Places where kids can connect, learn, and grow and be offered an escape are being rejuvenated to serve as a safe space for the youth once again. Asheville City is proud to be able to help enrich the lives of the region’s future generations of athletes.

Across Western North Carolina, the effects of Helene were felt most deeply in the spaces where children gather to play. From the flooded athletic fields at Asheville’s Carrier Park to the damaged diamonds at Veterans Park in Black Mountain, youth programs were left scrambling to recover lost ground. In Madison County, Parks and Recreation faced the challenge of maintaining growing youth leagues while managing storm recovery. In Fletcher, community fields that host countless local sports events required repairs and equipment replacement to return to play.

Each organization supported by the Next Eleven Fund represents a vital part of its community’s recovery. For Asheville Parks and Recreation, the donation contributes to restoring facilities citywide and reopening programs that connect thousands of young athletes. In Madison County, it supports affordable, expanding leagues that continue to bring families together despite the costs of recovery. In Fletcher, the investment helps rebuild a key community hub that serves youth across multiple sports, and in Black Mountain, it helps the Owen Babe Ruth Baseball and Softball League cover costs once sustained by concessions and press box operations lost to flood damage.

Together, these four donations demonstrate the purpose and power of the Next Eleven Fund: To ensure that even after a devastating storm, every child in Western North Carolina can return to a field, court, or park that feels like home.

The Asheville City Soccer Club men’s team returns to the pitch in March 2026 in the first round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup before both the men and women begin their league seasons in May.