Craig Forrest at new South African Village 

2/8/2005 Rustenburg, South Africa: Canadian soccer legend Craig Forrest, South African Soccer star Lucas Radebe, and Dany Jordaan, Secretary General of the World Cup 2010 South African Local Organizing Committee were on hand on July 30, at the Olympia Stadium in Rustenburg, South Africa, to celebrate the groundbreaking for the new SOS Children's Village facilities in Rustenburg.

The former star goalkeeper for the Canadian men's national soccer team, Mr. Forrest has been appointed Canada's 'FIFA for SOS Children Ambassador'. He joins over 60 soccer stars around the world who will take on the job of promoting the long standing partnership between the international football governing body, FIFA, and SOS Children's Villages. Mr. Forrest is also an official spokesperson for SOS Children's Villages Canada.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu also voiced his support for the 6 villages for 2006 campaign and for the new SOS Children's Villages in Rustenburg. "Due to this initiative for the 2006 World Cup, I hope the 2010 World Cup in South Africa will also be more than just a football tournament," said Tutu, adding that the campaign would provide enormous benefits for the socially disadvantaged in South Africa. "The laying of the foundation stone for the SOS Children's Village in Rustenburg is a first step in the right direction - this is a very touching moment for me."

FIFA and SOS have had a working partnership for 10 years aimed at mobilizing social responsibility in sport. The latest joint venture is '6 Villages for 2006', the Official Charity Campaign of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. This campaign aims to raise sufficient funds for 6 new SOS Children's Villages for orphaned and abandoned children by the time the whistle blows at the final of the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. The Villages will be built in Mexico, Brazil, Nigeria, Vietnam, the Ukraine, and South Africa.

SOS Children's Villages Canada and the Canadian Soccer Association are partnering to raise funds to build a portion of the new Village planned for Rustenburg. SOS Children's Villages Canada is a member of SOS Kinderdorf International, one of the world's largest child welfare organizations. Operating in 134 countries, SOS Children's Villages is dedicated to providing long-term family based care for orphaned and abandoned children. SOS care and support of these vulnerable children reaches far beyond the physical boundaries of the SOS Village. Community outreach and rebuilding, emergency relief and ongoing community medical and health and education services have made SOS Villages outposts for social change around the world.