Community
Yesterday, MLS stars and New York Red Bulls players Rafa Marquez and Kenny Cooper visited St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, TN. During their visit, Rafa and Kenny spent time with several patients and even helped a few patients learn some new soccer tricks.
MLS W.O.R.K.S. helps share the mission of St. Jude through the Goals for St. Jude program. Rafa and Kenny join Logan Pause of the Chicago Fire, Shea Salinas of the San Jose Earthquakes and Dan Kennedy of Chivas USA as ambassadors for the program.
Be on the lookout for Goals for St. Jude week in September to see how you can get involved in the life-saving mission of helping St. Jude find a cure for childhood cancer. Help us kick cancer!
Learn more about the MLS W.O.R.K.S. Soccer Kicks Cancer program.
Ask Joe Bendik about his eight-year-old nephew Gavin, and his eyes instantly light up.
You see, Gavin has cystic fibrosis and Bendik, the Portland Timbers backup goalkeeper, has used his notoriety as a professional soccer player to support the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. It's a passion that has led Bendik to raise close to $3,000 through the Portland chapter of Team Gavin as part of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's Great Strides National Walk Event.
Those efforts have earned him the MLS W.O.R.K.S. Humanitarian of the Month award for July.
Bendik and a handful of teammates participated in the May 19 Great Strides event at Oaks Park Amusement Park or donated gear to show their support. Along with the money generated at the local event, Team Gavin raised more than $30,000 nationwide.
Bendik is hoping to draw on the excitement displayed during the Great Strides walk to plan a charity golf tournament in August. He's also working with a local high school in the area on an alumni football game fundraiser. All of it with Gavin in mind.
Article by Dan Itel. Read more.
MLS W.O.R.K.S. and MLS corporate partner Continental Tire announced their commitment to educate the next generation of energy users during MLS Cup 2011 and are participating in Bonneville Environmental Foundation's (BEF) Solar 4R Schools program. A solar panel installation was awarded to KIPP Los Angeles Preparatory School--also the location of an environmentally friendly service project that culminated Greener Goals week and included players from MLS Cup 2011 champion LA Galaxy.
In addition, MLS W.O.R.K.S. and Continental Tire launched the "How Green Are Your Goals?" campaign as a way to engage MLS fans to participate and support environmentally friendly efforts leading up to Earth Day. Fans were encouraged to visit the Greener Goals website to share stories of how they incorporate green efforts into their everyday lives.
Thanks to the incredible support from supporters and fans, the Portland Timbers are the MLS W.O.R.K.S./Continental Tire "How Green Are Your Goals?" contest winners. A deserving school in Portland will receive a $50,000 solar panel installation as part of an MLS W.O.R.K.S. Earth Day 2013 community service project.
Timbers fan Jeffrey Briley was named the "How Green Are Your Goals?" Sweepstakes Grand Prize winner and has won a trip to the 2012 AT&T MLS All-Star Game at PPL Park in Chester, PA, and a set of tires, courtesy of Continental Tire.
Congratulations to the Portland Timbers and Jeffrey Briley for your outstanding commitment to the environment.
For photos from the event at KIPP LA, visit the MLS W.O.R.K.S. Flickr page.
Pavel Pardo, la leyenda mexicana y actual mediocampista del Chicago Fire, cambió la cancha de fútbol por la de beisbol este fin de semana para para hacer un lanzamiento de conmemoración en el U.S. Cellular Field de Chicago en celebración de los White Sox y el “Orgullo Sox”.
Además del lanzamiento de la estrella azteca, un excelente grupo mariachi le dio un sabor mexicano al himno de los Estados Unidos cuando entonaron una versión especial del Star Spangled Banner.
Juzguen ustedes mismos.
MLS clubs continue to show support for their communities through fundraising, grants, community visits and youth programming. Check out the highlights:
Timbers Lose Their Boots to Help Mercy Corps
Timbers Award $37,000 in Community Fund Grants
Get "Scooped" by Benny Feilhaber on Friday, July 6
Kaiser Permanente Get Earthquakes Fit
'Caps Visit BC Children's Hospital
Rapids to Support Disaster Fundraising Efforts at HelpColorado.Now.org
For more community news around the League, visit the MLS W.O.R.K.S. news section.
You've nominated them, now it's time to vote...
Who should win $10,000 for charity and a trip to the 2012 AT&T MLS All-Star Game?
One Community MVP has been chosen to represent each MLS club. Only one winner will have the chance to win the Grand Prize, a $10,000 donation to their charity of choice and a trip to the 2012 AT&T MLS All-Star Game at PPL Park. MLS W.O.R.K.S. Community MVP Grand Prize voting is now open! Vote now!
Take a look at what the clubs have been doing in the community this week in the MLS W.O.R.K.S. Weekly Club Highlights:
Revs Partner with Making Strides Against Breast Cancer
Frankie Hejduk Visits the Heroes Cup 6v6 Honoring Shawn Hannon
Rapids and Special Olympics Form Partnership for Summer Events
D.C. United Conducts Youth Soccer Clinic in Aldie
Grab Your Best XI from the Office and Enter the Timbers Corporate Cup
Sidekicks Launched To Support KSE Charities
Quakes to Donate Dollars for 'Likes' to Operation Care & Comfort
For more community news around the League, visit the MLS W.O.R.K.S. news section.
Whoa.
Timbers Army brought the heat this weekend at JELD-WEN Field, adding another epic tifo to the growing list of massive displays that seem to serve as the precursors to Portland-Seattle matches. (See Portland's King of Clubs and Seattle's Decades of Dominance for example.)
As you can see above, the banner stretched across the entirety of the north end of the stadium, creating an absolutely stunning tribute to the city of Portland and its soccer past. The Timbers Army hit all the right notes with this effort: the Portland skyline, city and cascadia flags and Clive Charles right smack in the middle as a focal point. That's soccer art, for sure.
Sounders beat writer Jeremiah Oshan wraps it all up here with a little more detail.
I'll leave you with one more image from the match, which had no shortage of talking points.
Find out what the clubs have been up to this week and some upcoming events in the MLS W.O.R.K.S. Weekly Club Highlights:
Seattle Sounders FC Book Drive
Sporting KC Attends Braden's Hope Photo Shoot
Philadelphia Union Honor Military Heroes
Dynamo Academy Midfielder Earns $10,000 Scholarship
Crew Soccer Foundation Golf Classic
Crew Soccer Foundation Black & Gold 5K
Food Network Star Jamie Deen to Participate in Diabetes Awareness Events with Chicago Fire
For more community news from around the League, visit the MLS W.O.R.K.S. news section.
Check out what our clubs have been doing off the field this week in the Weekly Club Highlights:
Montreal Impact raises awareness for PROCURE
Timbers and Grassroot Soccer partner to help raise money
Philadelphia Union Hometown Heroes Program
San Jose Earthquakes Soccer Mom of the Match
Celebrate Father's Day with Whitecaps FC
Chester Children Design Dream Playgrounds for July 24 Build
For more community news from around the League, visit the MLS W.O.R.K.S. news section.