Lauren Holiday Impact Award
Goalkeeper AD Franch is the club’s nominee for the 2024 NWSL Lauren Holiday Community Impact Award, presented by Nationwide. Franch is one of 14 club-nominated players vying for the award, which honors individuals who have made a significant impact on their community. At the end of the season, one winner will receive $30,000 to designate to a charitable organization of their choice.
Franch is partnering with WeCode KC, a community partner of the Current since the 2023 season. WeCode KC focuses on creating a more inclusive and equitable technology ecosystem, increasing access to technology education and industry recognized credentials for students living in the urban core. Franch has volunteered and visited WeCode’s summer technology camps on multiple occasions since 2023, spending valuable time with students and participating in hands-on learning alongside them.
Leaving an impact beyond the pitch ❤️
— KC Current - x (@thekccurrent) September 3, 2024
@ADizzle23 is our nominee for the 2024 Lauren Holiday Impact Award for her work with local nonprofit, @wecodekc. They expose urban core youth to technology concepts and coding.
Voting starts Oct 1 so be ready #KCBABY 👀 pic.twitter.com/IlB4OwWnEY
“I am very passionate about giving back to the community and honored to be selected as the Current’s nominee for the Lauren Holiday Community Impact Award,” said Franch. “More importantly, I’m proud to be providing a platform for the incredible work happening daily at WeCode KC. Giving urban core youth the opportunities to be proficient in cybersecurity and technology is extremely important, and I am looking forward to seeing how WeCode continues to impact Kansas City.”
As a partner of the KC Current, WeCode and Franch collaborated on a new soccer arcade game built by the students of WeCode. In February, Franch helped highlight WeCode KC’s mission in a Black Entrepreneurship video series highlighting local Black entrepreneurs, which the Current does annually in partnership with Bank of America. Franch, along with her KC Current teammates, hosted a tour of the facility while showing off the different spaces in the building and talking with students about their passion for technology.
“AD exemplifies what it means to be a community servant, and we are so excited to nominate her for this meaningful award,” said Kansas City Current vice president, community relations Ben Aken. “The work AD does with WeCode KC makes an immense impact on the Kansas City community. As a club, we are honored to support both AD and WeCode KC throughout this nomination process.”
The Current will be honoring Franch’s contributions to WeCode KC at its home match Sept. 28 against NJ/NY Gotham FC. During the festivities, Franch will receive a $5,000 donation from the NWSL and Nationwide that will go towards bolstering WeCode KC’s efforts.
“AD’s dedication to WeCode KC goes far beyond the soccer field,” said WeCode KC founder and CEO Tammy Buckner. “Her genuine enthusiasm, hands-on involvement, and partnership with WeCode KC is a powerful example of how sports and technology can come together to create life-changing opportunities for our youth. She's not just a goalkeeper; she's a gateway to a brighter future for young people in our community."
In addition to her work with WeCode KC, Franch supports several local organizations in the Kansas City area including Giving Grove, Variety KC, Kansas City Public Schools and the YMCA, where Franch’s soccer journey began at five years old.
A fan vote will be conducted in October, which will allow NWSL fans to vote for their nominee of choice. The nominee with the most fan votes at the end of October will receive $5,000 to donate to a charitable organization of their choice, as well as an additional $5,000 awarded to the nominee’s community partner. The fan vote can be accessed through the NWSL’s microsite for all 14 nominees. Fans will be able to vote once per day once voting goes live Oct. 1.
“I want to congratulate these outstanding players on their nomination for this award,” said Holiday. “These nominees truly embody what it means to be a difference-maker both on and off the field and I look forward to celebrating them this season and seeing the lasting impact they will continue to have on their communities and beyond.”
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