By Mila Besich-Lira
Caesar Villalobos received notification this month that he was selected to attend the annual Down Under Bowl football tournament in July 2013.
“I didn’t believe it when my mom called me to tell me the invitation came in the mail” he said.
Caesar is a Junior this year at Superior High School and is a running back and linebacker for the Superior Panthers.
This invitation will allow him to play three football games in Australia with football players throughout the country. He is one of 36 football players from Arizona selected to represent Arizona.
While in Australia, the team will have two practices. Following the tournament in Australia the team has a three-day visit in Hawaii.
The Down Under Sports organization was formed in 1989. Their mission is to bridge the cultural and educational gaps with people of other lands.
The organization specializes in sports trips to Australia and New Zealand. To date, tens of thousands of American youth have participated in one of their sports programs. Caesar is one of many students selected over the years to represent Superior in the Down Under Tournament.
Caesar and his mom Valerie Serrano have already been busy raising the funds for him to attend. The trip will cost a minimum of $5,300, which includes his airfare, registration, passport and insurance fees that amount does not include his spending money.
The family has already completed one fundraiser that helped gather seed money for fundraising expenses. The winners of the first cash raffle were Pirate Moraga – $500, Alan Fox – $300, and David and Melissa Rabago – $200.
They have a pastry bingo coming up on Nov. 4. They are also selling raffle tickets for a Remington 238 Rifle with scope, the second prize in that raffle is a propane grill. They will be hosting several other fundraisers through June 6, 2013.
Caesar is the son of Robert Villalobos and Valerie Serrano. He is the grandson of Anna and Jimmy Bojorquez, Bobby and Sylvia Villalobos and the late Billy Serrano. He has five brothers and two sisters.
When he is not on the football field Caesar is plays Baseball and is a member of FCCLA, the Math Club and Catholic Youth Ministries.
To make a donation to the efforts of purchase raffle tickets contact Valerie Serrano at 520-827-0670.
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