But Gregory Dooley, marketing coordinator at Algonquin Studios, says he willingly accepts the mild humiliation ? as well as giving up a few hours of his after-work time ? to help improve the lives of underprivileged, inner-city kids.

?The whole idea of donation is giving something that is valuable to you to someone else. For a lot of us, that?s our time,? he says. ?We get to go out and play soccer with a bunch of little kids, like pick-up games. And these kids, they love it.?

Dooley loves it too, as do his co-workers at Algonquin, a Buffalo technology firm. Instead of spending long hours writing code and creating Web sites, Algonquin workers are encouraged to participate in a company-sponsored nonprofit soccer league created by CEO Stephen Kiernan.

The league is the Buffalo Soccer Club, an initiative of Algonquin Sports for Kids, incorporated last year as a nonprofit dedicated to youth sports. The soccer program began in 2005 when Kiernan partnered with Buffalo United Soccer, a league for premier players, to sponsor a series of soccer clinics on Buffalo?s East Side. The clinics continued, proving successful enough to warrant the start of a house league this July.

Starting with 10 players the first night, with open registration the league has since grown to more than 225, each registered on a pay-if-you-can basis. Every Tuesday and Thursday night, teams are assembled based on how many kids show up to play at JFK Community Center on the city?s East Side. Participants receive uniforms and are coached by volunteer and professional trainers and referees.

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