Home - Berkshire Soccer Academy

Old Tees, New Purpose: How Upcycled Berky Pillows Raised $1,360 for Camp Scholarships

This past spring, Sofia Terjanian, a six-year Berkshire Soccer Academy camper and current high school senior, launched a thoughtful school project focused on sustainability and reuse. She gathered her old Berky shirts and turned them into hand-sewn, one-of-a-kind memory pillows.

Turning Memories Into Impact

The Academy provided Sofia with surplus Academy tee-shirts. Sofia purchased sewing supplies and spent many hours sewing the pillows. She provided them to the Berky store, which sold them to campers.  All proceeds were directed to the camp’s scholarship fund. The first 24 pillows sold out in just three sessions. We gave Sofia more shirts, and she made more pillows. A total of 68 pillows were sold at $20 a piece, generating $1,360 for the Berky Scholarship Fund

We shared Sofia’s journey with campers and highlighted her commitment to sustainability and giving back to the Berky community. Campers and families responded enthusiastically, not only to the product but to the story behind it.

Sustainability, Community, and Creativity

This project not only raised money—it sparked conversations about reuse, sustainability and the value of giving back. Sofia demonstrated how items that no longer serve their original purpose can be upcycled to a different use and kept out of landfills.

We’re grateful to Sofia for sharing her creativity and generosity—and thrilled that her pillows now live on as keepsakes in homes across the Berky community.

Support from TeamFirst

TeamFirst Legends, Mia Hamm, Kristine Lilly, and Tisha Venturini Hoch were so supportive of the fundraiser and signed many pillows, making them even more special for campers.

Old Tees, New Purpose: How Upcycled Berky Pillows Raised $1,360 for Camp Scholarships

This past spring, Sofia Terjanian, a six-year Berkshire Soccer Academy camper and current high school [...]

The Berky Edge: Built on Grit, Fueled by Fun

What Makes Berky So Special? There’s something truly unique about the Berkshire Soccer Academy—but what [...]

Berky Never Stops Getting Better!

Every fall, we sift through hundreds of camper, parent and staff surveys, looking for inspiring [...]

A Look Back – Best of Summer 2024

A record 1,193 athletes joined one or more Berky sessions in 2024, and USWNT legends [...]

2024 Brings Even More Improvements

Last year, we made extensive improvements, including a covered turf, larger goals, and a new [...]

5 Mental Skills Lessons from the Fall Soccer Season

At the Berkshire Soccer Academy, we understand that confidence and mental preparation are critical to [...]

Berky United: Positively Impacting the World Through Soccer

Having established itself as one of the country’s leading soccer camps, where girls discover their [...]