Supporters of the US national team are a passionate and rapidly-growing community, and a group of them have come together to help a tragedy-stricken comrade find some solace via a trip to next month's massive US vs. Mexico World Cup qualifier in Columbus, Ohio.

Earlier this month Amy Ross, a dedicated USMNT fan as well as a board member of the New England Revolution's Midnight Riders supporters group, lost her husband, fellow US and New England fan Tim Ross, to a rare form of cancer called mesothelioma.

Recognizing the joy and respite Amy found in her national-team fandom over the course of Tim's struggle with the disease, her fellow Midnight Riders have organized a crowd-sourced fundraiser on indiegogo.com to help her underwrite the costs of airfare and hotel accomodation in Columbus for what is widely viewed as the biggest game of the year in US soccer.

“Her loss is our loss and while we grieve with her we also seeks ways to extend our support and ease her pain,” reads the petition. “One of the best ways to do this is to embrace her as a family we would like to bring Amy with us to the USMNT match against Mexico, our hope being that the experience will be therapeutic and healing...

“Help us help her and demonstrate again how we can come together to help her as a family in this time of need.”

The target is $700, and as of Tuesday afternoon the project had raised more than $500. Any donations above and beyond the goal will be contributed to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Massachusetts/Rhode Island in Tim's honor.