Celebrate Life

A soccer night for kids in treatment for cancer and blood disorders, simultaneous with the Detroit City Fieldhouse Turf or Treat! For one evening an indoor field at the Fieldhouse belongs to them: a real game, professional players as coaches, families on the sideline, and a Halloween party on the field next door. It is free to play, and you don't need to sign up to come.

• WhenSaturday, October 24, 2026 · 5 to 7 PM. Soccer on one field and the Turf or Treat on the other, both indoors, the whole two hours. The restaurant upstairs then hosts the Detroit City FC men's watch party.
• WhereDetroit City Fieldhouse
  3401 E Lafayette St, Detroit, MI 48207
  One of the two indoor fields is reserved for us. Free parking on site.
• Who playsEvery pediatric hematology and oncology patient under 18. Siblings and friends are welcome to play too. No experience needed; nobody keeps score.
• Who coachesProfessional soccer players from Southeast Michigan, on the field with the kids for the whole game.
• CostFree to play; the field, the coaches and the candy are covered. Dinner is at the Fieldhouse restaurant upstairs, which is open all evening (outside food isn't allowed in the building).
• RegisterSign up here (two minutes). We use the list for two things: planning dinner with the Fieldhouse restaurant, and splitting the kids into teams by age. Not required. If you decide late, just show up and we will find you a team.
• BringSneakers or cleats, a water bottle, a costume if you want one, and anything your care team says you need. Shin guards if you have them; we'll have spares.

Register, so we can feed you and pick teams

Scan or tap

Registration takes about two minutes and asks for the player's name and age, jersey size, who is coming with them, what everyone will eat and drink, and any allergies or diet rules from the care team. That is how we order the right amount of food and set up teams by age so the six-year-olds are not chasing the sixteen-year-olds. You can also just show up.

Register a player

Or type the link: forms.gle/v2NbizhJ8TpBdVi66

What this is

Kids going through chemotherapy, transplant or treatment for a blood disorder spend a lot of their year in clinics and hospital rooms. Celebrate Life is one evening built around the opposite of that: a soccer field with their name on it, a game where the only thing anyone is watching is the ball, and coaches who play the sport for a living cheering for them. Parents, grandparents and siblings watch from the sideline, meet other families, and the Turf or Treat is on the field next door the whole time.

Kids who are tired, on crutches, or on precautions from their care team can still come. There will be a spot on the bench, a ball to kick from the sideline, and a coach who will come to them. Bring whatever your team needs to be comfortable and we will work around it.

What a Turf or Treat is

A Turf or Treat is Halloween indoors and without the walking. One of the Fieldhouse's two indoor fields becomes the trick-or-treat trail: decorated stations along the turf, kids going station to station in costume collecting candy, all in one warm, well-lit place with adults everywhere. It works especially well for kids who tire easily or who need to stay near a parent. The Fieldhouse runs it with its players, families and staff from 5 to 7 PM, and this year the field next door is ours for the game at the same time. Costumes are encouraged for players and families.

Why we're doing it

The medical side of this comes from the general surgery residents at the Detroit Medical Center and Wayne State University, who care for these kids and their families through surgeries, ports, biopsies and long admissions. We see how much of childhood treatment takes away, and how rarely there is a room full of people celebrating the kid instead of managing the illness. Detroit City FC's "Scare to Care" initiative is the club's way of giving back to the community that fills its stands, and this game is the first thing we're doing together. We want every child in treatment in Southeast Michigan to know about it, so please share this page with any family it could reach.

Where it is

The Detroit City Fieldhouse is Detroit City FC's home for youth soccer on the east side, at 3401 E Lafayette St, a few minutes from downtown and from the Detroit Medical Center campus. It sits on the site of the old Red Wings practice arena. Both fields are indoors under one roof: one is the Turf or Treat, the other is ours for the game, and the restaurant upstairs is open for dinner and hosts the Detroit City FC men's watch party afterwards. Parking is free.

Questions? Please ask.

Not sure your child is well enough to play? Wondering whether a sibling can join, whether a wheelchair works on the turf, or what time to actually show up? Call or text. There is no question too small, and we would much rather answer it than have a family stay home because they weren't sure. Email works too if calling is hard.

Follow along on Instagram at @detroitcityfieldhouse and @openspineconsortium.

The flyer is sized for Letter paper. This page will be updated if anything about the time or the field changes, so check back the week of the game.