Please pardon me for using this blog for something unrelated to WoW. I have resisted doing this sort of thing in the past, and the fact that I am doing it now should be an indication of how strongly I feel about this project.Outside of WoW one of my big passions is Soccer and in particular US Mens National Team soccer. I have played the game since I was 6 years old. I have watched the game since the 1994 World Cup here in the US. I have watched every World Cup since and travelled across the country to see qualifiers and friendies in person. I love this game and I love this team. As a result I have a hard time not doing whatever I can to make sure one of the most compelling stories in US Soccer is told.
Rise & Shine is a documentry about Jay DeMerit. A young kid from Green Bay, Wisconsin, who after being snubbed by MLS took his game to Europe in the hopes of playing professional Soccer. After looking for a tryout with teams all over Europe, he took a spot with a 9th division team in England for $70 a week and lived in the attic of a friends house. From there he worked his way up to the English Premier League and started for the US in the 2010 World Cup. For a more complete story take a look at this article from Grant Wahl.
This is a truely amazing story that rivales classic sports stories like the Miricle on Ice, but there is a risk that the movie won't be released because the film makers can't afford the licensing rights for the game footage used in the film.
The project's Kickstarter page details the situation much better then I can, but here are some quick details. The total project costs $215,000 and ass of this posting almost $160,000 has been raised. That means $55,000 needs to be raised in the next 10 days or the film will not be released. People who pledge to the project will get rewards like copies of the film and movie merchandice if the film is released. If the project does not reach it's $215,000 goal, your credit card will not be charged. If you are at all interested in US Soccer or just love a great story, I highly suggest you donate a little cash to this project.
