Soccer team draws crowd, helps out at WSU Africa rabies clinic

RENTON, Wash. – A recent visit to a Washington State University rabies vaccination clinic in Tanzania from the Seattle Sounders Football Club (major league soccer) was a great success, said WSU’s Felix Lankester.

“The Seattle team really enjoyed their visit,” said Lankester, who joined WSU’s Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal health last year as on-site coordinator of programs in east Africa. “Lots of villagers turned up with dogs, played football and had a great time.”

He said team members got involved by filling out vaccination cards and even learning to load a syringe and administer a vaccine. They also distributed team balls and shirts and played soccer with the villagers.

The Sounders FC named the Washington Global Health Alliance one of its community partners in 2009. WGHA catalyzes innovative partnerships between traditional and unexpected organizations and people to improve health globally and locally.

See an earlier article about the visit at https://archive.news.wsu.edu/pages/publications.asp?Action=Detail&PublicationID=34449&TypeID=1