Documentary filmmaker Eugene Martin has raised the $25,000 needed to fund his film about the nation’s only all-African-American, inner city girls soccer team, Philadelphia’s Anderson Monarchs.

Fundraising efforts surpassed the $25,000 mark Wednesday, with a last-day push of about $3,000 coming in before Thursday’s 2:59 p.m. deadline to help make the film about the Anderson Monarchs a reality.

Martin told the PSP on Thursday morning, “We just passed $27,000, and we ended the campaign as the top project on Kickstarter, which is no small feat considering they have over 2000 live projects on their site at any one time. They don’t just pick projects for how much money they have raised, but for how interesting and unique they are.”

We don’t know how much our readers played a part in this, but we know the film had under $13,000 eight days ago, when PSP co-editor Ed Farnsworth posted this interview and pitch to the Philly soccer scene for help. Since then, Martin raised more than $14,000 through Kickstarter.com, which works via an all-or-nothing model—i.e. if funding reaches the target, the money goes for the project.

Martin told the PSP that the project met its goal on Wednesday morning, thanks to a contribution from a certain supporters group well known for their charitable work.

“I got an email from the Sons of Ben—they put us over the top with a huge contribution around 10am yesterday [Wednesday] morning. So, right after that I called my editorial team and I booked them for the next 4 to 5 months, full time, so we can finish the film! That was a fantastic phone call to make as we start working on the editing this Monday in super high gear!”

Martin said that support for the Anderson Monarchs film project has also led to support for the Anderson Monarchs themselves. “I also got word a major Phila. Health Corporation has lined up enough donations for the girls so each one of the 100 girls are getting brand new uniforms. They have not had new ones in over two years now.”

Thanking the PSP and the Philly soccer community for their “massive support,” Martin said, “Overall this whole event has brought us in touch with a loyal fan base who are passionate about the girls and soccer and social justice. My deep thanks to all who supported and we cannot wait to get the film done!”

The Anderson Monarchs story is one worth telling through film. We all know how soccer in this country is very different than soccer abroad, how it’s often more a game of the suburbs than the cities, because that’s where the good fields and money are. Shining a spotlight on a team like the Anderson Monarchs is great not just for the sport, but it’s also great for the kids and also the Philly soccer scene.