Beit Issie Shapiro’s (BISYP) second annual Soccer-thon, dubbed “Kicking for Kids,” raised $8,300 for children in Israel suffering disabilities. Last year, the organization raised $1,800.

Some 100 soccer players ranging in age from 20 to 50 took part in the event at the Astra SportsPlex on Rutherford Road in Vaughan, Ont.

Divided into 10 teams, they played three-on-three soccer games in a round-robin format.

Children cheered on the adults, and the sounds of “vuvuzelas” (plastic horns) added to the festive atmosphere. Children enjoyed a kids zone before the games began.

Team Min2 raised the most money for the charity, while Brian Singer was acknowledged for raising the most money through sponsorship.

All proceeds from the Soccer-thon will go to support Beit Issie Shapiro in Israel, a leading innovator of new therapies for children and adults with disabilities. Over the past 30 years, the organization has grown from serving 16 children to assisting some 30,000 people every year.

Beit Issie Shapiro also helps train thousands of therapists in Israel and conducts research. The organization has been a leader in promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities into society and advocating for better legal provisions for people with disabilities.

Gilad Epstein and BISYP’s young professionals group organized the event.

Beit Issie Shapiro was named Israel’s most effective non-profit organization in 2011 by Midot, a group that monitors the effectiveness of Israel’s charitable sector.