In the 1980s, the Juniata Strikers team dominated the soccer fields of Ferko Playground in Philadelphia, but lack of community support silenced game play. That was, until August 2009, when area police successfully revived the program with the help of a 7-Eleven Franchisee and Northeast Philadelphia Market 2408.Franchisee Maqbool Khokhar was looking for a way to build a strong relationship between his 7-Eleven Store #20452 and the local police department. "I noticed that police officers frequented other neighborhood convenience stores, but never set foot in mine," he said. "So I paid a visit to the 24th Police District, Police Service Area (PSA) 241 to find out what I could do to build a relationship with them."
Khokhar's visit paid off. Working to revive the Juniata soccer program, the station's sergeant was having difficulty finding a sponsor for an August soccer camp. Khokhar jumped at the opportunity to help.
With the help of Field Consultant Krista Smith and Market 2408, Khokhar provided food for the free four-day camp at Ferko Playground that helped teach 38 neighborhood children how to play soccer. The camp concluded with a cookout for which Khokhar and his market provided 7-Eleven Fresh Food. The store also provided funding for new soccer balls and trophies presented to each participant at the closing event.
"Maqbool and Krista were extremely supportive and excited to participate in this community initiative," said Edward Egenlauf, Lieutenant of the 24th District Philadelphia Department, PSA 241. "Without the help and support of 7-Eleven, this community initiative for local kids might not have ever happened," he said. "We're hoping to revive the tradition for years to come."
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