'The best human I’ve ever met': FC Regina honours one of their own in Movember campaign

Gio Sosa, who worked for FC Regina for several years, passed away from cancer in 2023. (Photo courtesy of FC Regina/Gordon West)

FC Regina will take to the pitch this weekend for their seventh annual Movember soccer match featuring coaches, staff, and local celebrities to raise money for the men’s health campaign.

This year, they will also be honouring Gio Sosa who worked for FC Regina for several years.

Sosa passed away after a short battle with cancer in 2023.

“Gio was the best human I’ve ever met. I don’t know any other way to put it,” Mike Raymond, President of FC Regina, shared.

Raymond combined his passions of soccer and raising awareness for the campaign back in 2017.

“In 2017 I started the actual ‘FC Regina Movember Team’ and then in 2018 I wanted to do a little more. So I decided to ask the club if we could host some sort of event and the idea of having a soccer match was brought up,” he explained.

“Originally it was coaches versus the referees and now we’ve morphed it into more coaches versus referees versus celebrities.”

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Since it began, FC Regina has raised over $29,000 dollars for the campaign. The initiative also stems from a personal connection to Movember for Raymond.

“It’s the mental health side of things [that compelled me to do something] because I’ve struggled with my own mental health issues. So it resonated with me.”

The shirt with Gio Sosa's signature and heartbeat on it that FC Regina will be selling to raise money for Movember. (Photo courtesy of FC Regina/Gordon West)Spectators are asked to bring a $5 donation for entrance to the game. FC Regina will also sell shirts in honour of Sosa with his signature and heartbeat on the back for $20. All of the money raised will go directly to the Movember campaign.

“Movember is such an important cause for men’s health. I truly believe that they do good things so come watch a fun soccer match for a great cause,” Raymond exclaimed.

CTV personalities Sabeen Ahmad and Lee Jones will be celebrity participants in the match that will take place on Saturday at the AffintiyPlex at 5 p.m.

Additional info can be found here.