Seattle Sounders forward Clint Dempsey will participate in the “Kick in for Houston” celebrity match on Nov. 18 at BBVA Compass Stadium.
The charity match, started by former Houston Dynamo and United States national team member Stuart Holden, will raise money to help those affected by Hurricane Harvey, which devastated southeast Texas at the end of August and early September.
Dempsey is a native of Nacogdoches, Texas, which is roughly 140 miles northeast of Houston. Holden, who was born in Scotland but grew up in the Houston area, spent four seasons with the Dynamo from 2006-09 and earned 25 U.S. caps from 2008-13. The two competed against each other in the English Premier League while Dempsey was with Fulham and Tottenham and Holden was with Bolton Wanderers.
Holden and Dempsey will be joined by other notable U.S Soccer figures including: Alex Morgan, Jozy Altidore, Landon Donovan, Mia Hamm, Taylor Twellman, Jermaine Jones, Brian Ching, Dom Dwyer, Alexi Lalas and Dwayne De Rosario. Former NBA point guard Steve Nash, former MLB pitcher Roger Clemens and YouTube stars Jake Paul and Kade Speiser are also scheduled to participate.
The match will be televised on FS1, where Holden currently works as a broadcast analyst, at 6 p.m. CT/4 p.m. PT.
“After the devastation of the storm passed, I was inspired by how the Houston community came together to support each other,” Holden said. “It’s a community that welcomed me when my family [emigrated] from Scotland when I was 10 and gave me my first real chance at professional soccer with the Houston Dynamo. While I am thankful that my family’s homes were spared, I want to find a way to help the thousands who were not as fortunate.”
You can donate to Holden’s relief efforts by clicking HERE.