BATON ROUGE – On Saturday, the Louisiana soccer community will come together in New Orleans for a benefit game called the “Murphy Memorial Match,” which will help raise money for the family of Tiger soccer players Kellie Murphy and Danielle Murphy.
The Murphy family suffered an unthinkable tragedy nearly two weeks ago while traveling in South Africa for the 2010 FIFA World Cup as their sister, Nicole Murphy, was killed instantly and their brother, Brian Murphy, was left in critical condition in intensive care after being struck by a drunk driver on June 15.
Kellie Murphy, a rising junior and returning starter for the LSU soccer team, was also injured as she got a mild concussion in the crash. She is recovering from her injuries.
Medical expenses continue to climb for the family, and it is unclear what expenses insurance will cover at this time. The Louisiana soccer community scheduled the “Murphy Memorial Match” to help the Murphy family raise the necessary funds to help cover these medical expenses.
Brian Murphy remains in a medically-induced coma in South Africa will be returned home using a special medical airplane when he is stable. That cost alone could be more than $300,000.
The benefit will be held in New Orleans on Saturday, July 3, from 3-7 p.m. at the Louisiana Avenue Field on the corner of Tchoupitoulas Street. The admission to the match is on a donation basis with a fee of $25 being charged per player. Donations can also be sent to the Murphy Family Support Fund, which is set up at Home Bank in Lafayette. The address is P.O. Box 81459, Lafayette, LA 70598.
“We want Kellie, Danielle and the rest of the Murphy family to know that we are all here for them during this difficult time. They’re a part of our family here at LSU,” said LSU head coach Brian Lee. “We would encourage anyone who is able to assist them in their time of need.”