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Joe Seeley Fund

Illinois Futbol Club created the Joe Seeley Fund in October of 2012, after his passing on October 13, 2012.  Joe was a coach for many years with Little Illini Soccer Club/Illinois FC, whose two sons, Jake and Paul, played for the club. Joe was passionate about soccer, our club, and opportunities for kids to grow in their love for the sport.

The Joe Seeley Fund has a legacy of providing opportunities for young soccer players to join the club. For many years, the Joe Seeley Fund provided free uniforms for incoming U9 players. As we embark on the next phase of our journey together, we are dedicated to utilizing the fund’s proceeds to establish direct scholarship opportunities for promising players in the C-U community who face financial barriers. Furthermore, as a testament to the fund’s tradition, we will ensure that all young athletes at the U8 and U10 levels receive throwback practice kits, a gesture that pays homage to Joe Seeley’s lasting impact on our club. This initiative builds upon the fund’s prior contributions, reflecting our steadfast dedication to both our players and the memory of Coach Joe.

This endowment-style fund is managed by the Community Foundation of East Central Illinois and continues to receive donations from generous friends and family who want to honor Joe's love for soccer and our organization.



Joe Seeley with his U9 Boys Team


Joe Seeley with his U9 Boys team- Fall 2003


Joe Seeley with his U11 Boys Spring Cup Championship Team


How to donate:

1. Mail a check: You can mail a check payable to "Community Foundation of East Central Illinois" to:

Community Foundation of East Central Illinois
307 W University Ave.
Champaign, IL 61820

Please make sure to write "Joe Seeley Fund" on the memo line of the check.

2. Make a donation online: DONATE NOW.  Please select the donate button in the upper right-hand corner and note “Joe Seeley Fund” under designation.


Joe after he was presented with the Service Award (Right to Left: Robert Baird, Paul Seeley, Stephen Parente, Joe Seeley, Jake Seeley, Kevin Love, Josh Alford)


Joe's Blasts Book

What started as a single blog entry the day after Joe Seeley entered the University of Chicago Medical Center for treatment in January 2011 ended up spanning 21 months. Joe shares intimate details of his journey with unflinching honesty, laugh-out-loud humor, and a gentle grace. He lets us experience with him the exhilarating highs and harrowing lows of his leukemia roller-coaster ride. And in doing so, he transforms us.

Buy here


Joe Seeley LISC Commemorative Shirts

Special Joe Seeley LISC commemorative shirts are available at the Illinois FC office inside Soccer Planet (2310 N. Willow Rd, Urbana, IL 61802). They're a great way to show pride for our club and honor and remembrance for Joe and his great contributions to our club.

Uniforms

The Joe Seeley Fund provided uniform kits for all new U8-U10 Boys & Girls for every season since 2014!


Jan Seeley & the U9-U10 Girls showing off their shirts!


Jan Seeley with the 2014-2015 U9 Boys & Girls Players