Monday night, at the Atrium Ballroom of the Ronald Reagan Building, United for D.C. hosted the Fourth Annual United Awards Reception, presented by United Bank. More than 200 people attended the event, co-emceed by Tony Limarzi, radio voice for D.C. United and Russ Thaler, host of Washington Post Live on Comcast SportsNet. The reception served as an opportunity for the club to honor United players for their on-field accomplishments as well as recognize the impact of United for D.C. in the community. All proceeds raised from the reception will go to benefit United for D.C. programs which advance opportunities for economically, physically and mentally disadvantaged youth of the greater Washington D.C. area. The United Awards Reception, supported by Budweiser, Verizon, Clark Construction, Screaming Eagles and Arent Fox also included a cocktail hour and a silent auction.
Following the reception, D.C. United honored its 2007 Team Award winners, including footage of each recipient and highlights from the season. Luciano Emilio (Honda Most Valuable Player and Budweiser Golden Boot), Bryan Namoff (Defender of the Year), Bobby Boswell (U.S. Soccer Foundation Humanitarian of the Year), and Ben Olsen (Coaches Award, Fans' Choice and Goal of the Year) all took home honors for their play in 2007. Longtime U.S. Soccer Foundation staffer, Phyllis Riedler, was also honored with a Community MVP award, while newly crowned MLS goal-scoring leader Jaime Moreno was presented a special honor by adidas.
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Founded in 2002, United for D.C. is a 501(c)3 organization committed to supporting programs and organizations that help the charity reach disadvantaged youth in the greater Washington, D.C. area. Money raised last night will be used to support the foundation's three major programs: United Reads, Kicks for Kids and United Soccer Club. United Reads, supported by Verizon and the Verizon Foundation, encourages childhood literacy through partnerships with neighboring elementary schools and local health care centers located in Wards 6, 7 and 8 in the District of Columbia. Through the program, United encourages area youth to fall in love with reading while also promoting literacy amongst children and their families. Kicks for Kids provides the game-day experience for thousands of inner-city and under-served youth throughout the greater Washington, D.C. region each season. Through Kicks for Kids, United for D.C. provides qualified non-profit and other community-based organizations with access to free game tickets, meal vouchers, transportation assistance, t-shirts and promotional items as well as special behind-the-bench seating and post-game autographs. The United Soccer Club, runs after-school soccer programs at three locations: Barry Farm Parks and Recreation, Boys & Girls Club #11and Ketcham Elementary. United Soccer Club hosts approximately 150 elementary school students during the eight-week fall session.
