Hamm's charity soccer game kicks off Saturday

While young girls on soccer fields around the country are trying to be like Mia Hamm, she was trying to be like Tony Hawk -- at least for a short time.

"I grew up watching him skate and I told him the story about me trying to skate when I was 13," Hamm said.

Those aspirations for Hamm were short lived, but Hawk will get to test his soccer skills again on Saturday when he joins a bevy of celebrities at the second annual Mia Hamm and Nomar Garciaparra Celebrity Soccer Challenge at The Home Depot Center.

The match, which will kickoff at 1 p.m. PT, benefits the Children's Hospital Los Angeles and the Mia Hamm Foundation.

Hawk played in last year's game, which raised more than $150,000 with the help of partners that included Nike, Gatorade, WMG, AEG and Stanford Financial.

"I think we were surprised at just the enthusiasm of everyone involved, from the soccer community (in Los Angeles) to the celebrities that were in the area," Hamm said. "They just came out and said whatever you want us to do we're willing to do, from participation to signing autographs."

The most rewarding part of last year's game, though, was learned recently when a bone marrow transplant match was made from the donor drive held throughout the Soccer Challenge.

"The odds of that happening are so small," Hamm said.

The cause is close to Hamm, who lost her brother, Garrett, in 1997 after complications from a bone marrow transplant.

"Our family struggled financially to find out how we're going to fund the procedures he had to go through and all that stress and strain," she said. "All these things we went through we wanted to alleviate the stress and strain on people's lives. It definitely hits close to home."

So Hamm, along with the help of her husband Nomar Garciaparra of the Los Angeles Dodgers, decided to raise awareness and immediately the soccer community responded.

Nomar and I are so grateful," Hamm said. "It is a special community to be a part of, it's something that none of us take lightly. The love for the game has brought us all together and we love sharing what this game has brought to our lives. Saturday is just going to be another testament to that."

Landon Donovan, Cobi Jones, Brandi Chastain, Alexi Lalas and Eric Wynalda joined an array of celebrities and other athletes, including NFL great Marcus Allen, U.S. Olympic gold medalist Kerri Walsh, Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo and Extreme Makeover host Ty Pennington.

The same is true this year. According to Lalas, the Hamm name is still carries a lot of weight.

"As far as I'm concerned, Mia Hamm is soccer community royalty," Lalas said. "When the queen calls, you go."

While the small-sided game should again provide excitement for the crowd, the most poignant part of the day will be at halftime when patients who suffer from leukemia, lymphoma and other life-threatening diseases will be introduced in person for the very first time to their bone marrow donors.

The donor and recipient meetings will recognize all those who have given hope to patients in need of a life-saving transplant by joining the National Marrow Donor Program Registry. Fans in attendance will be given the opportunity to register and become donors themselves.

"We can demonstrate exactly what signing up can do for a family. It can change their lives," Hamm said. "No matter what Nomar and I say, it doesn't do it justice until you see it in person."