Pledging to "LIVE UNITED" for 2009 and beyond, Real Salt Lake announced today that it will donate 5 cents from every ticket sold for each home game to its official charity, United Way of Salt Lake, beginning with the 2009 MLS Home Opener, next Thursday, April 2, against defending MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew at Rio Tinto Stadium.
"Real Salt Lake has supported the United Way since our inception in 2005, and we invite our sports fans in our community to be part of the change," said RSL and Rio Tinto Stadium President Bill Manning, also a member of the United Way of Salt Lake Board of Directors. "This contribution, along with other RSL initiatives, will make an impact on our community, a powerful one, and we hope to inspire our fans to donate, volunteer and contribute. That's what the credo 'LIVE UNITED' means to us, and we hope our wonderful fans join us to make the difference."
Real Salt Lake, entering its first full season at the new, state-of-the-art Rio Tinto Stadium home, has played before more than 1,000,000 fans during its first four seasons, averaging over 15,000 per game since its inaugural 2005 year. The team played four games at Rio Tinto Stadium last October and November (two regular-season, two playoffs), selling out the entire 20,008 capacity on both the October 9 opener and the November 15 Western Conference Final, averaging 18,090.
"We are very grateful for our partnership with Real Salt Lake, as the organization shows great commitment to United Way and to our community as it helps raise awareness of the social issues that we all have a desire to solve," said Deborah Bayle, President and CEO of United Way of Salt Lake. "Real Salt Lake is an incredible partner as it helps us continue efforts that make a positive, lasting impact for our friends and neighbors in the community."
Through its year-old "LIVE UNITED" campaign, United Way of Salt Lake and its community partners - entities such as Rio Tinto, Zions Bank, Comcast and Sandy City, among hundreds of others - are working to advance the common good by focusing on education, income, health, and safety net services. The foundation of the work is supporting a safety net to meet crisis needs. Building on that foundation, United Way, its partners and beneficiaries work toward long-term solutions in the areas of education, income, and health.
Real Salt Lake's 2009 campaign kicks off with the team's MLS opener on Saturday, March 28, when the Claret-and-Cobalt will travel to the Pacific Northwest for its first-ever contest against Seattle Sounders FC, with pre-game coverage starting at 8:00 p.m. MT LIVE on KUTV2 (CBS), and post-game coverage on Talkin' Sports at 11:00 p.m. MT.
