K-M girls soccer to host Epilepsy Awareness Game on Saturday afternoon

The Kasson-Mantorville girls soccer team will hold an epilepsy awareness game on Saturday afternoon when they face St. Peter at KMTelecom Stadium. The game, which is slated for a 4 p.m. kickoff, will have plenty of festivities for fans including T-shirts, a raffle at halftime and an auction.

The team will also use special balls for the game that will be delivered to the most valuable player on each team. The process for the MVP will be determined in a vote by the opposing team.

While it’s natural for a high school team to raise funds for a cause, this one hits close to home for the program. K-M head coach Chris Soderberg’s daughter was hospitalized for almost a year at the age of four when she encountered seizures that couldn’t be stopped. While things have improved since then, the challenges have remained.

“We’re still dealing with it on a daily basis,” Soderberg said. “She’s home with us in a wheelchair and there’s a lot of complications. But, it’s an ongoing battle with my child and it’s something that hits home. We’ve also had players who have dealt with epilepsy within our program as well.”

Soderberg has credited the K-M Girls Soccer Booster Club as big contributors to help make this event possible and the team hopes to raise a couple thousand dollars as well as awareness to the battle that epilepsy creates for many families.

“I’m excited for this event,” Soderberg admitted. “We’ll have my family and my daughter down here and it will be a good night.”