WASHINGTON, D.C. - D.C. United announced today that its United Drives initiative will continue this week when the Black-and-Red take on the Columbus Crew on Saturday (May 7). The second of six total drives requests donations of new children's books during each United home game in May. Donated books may be in English or Spanish, and United for D.C., the team's non-profit arm and beneficiary of the books, asks that the books be geared towards youth, grades K through 7, and that soccer-themed and other popular children's book are preferred.
United Bank, a sponsor of D.C. United since 1998, is teaming up with D.C. United for the second consecutive year to promote the United Chilren's Book Drive by accepting book donations at all of its locations in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area during the months of May and June. All donated books will support United for D.C.'s United Reads program, which operates in four DC elementary schools and in one Children's Health Center location.
"The book drive is extremely important for the beneficiaries of United for D.C.'s United Reads program," said Catherine Marquette, D.C. United's Director of Community Relations and Executive Director of United For D.C. "Through our schools and Reading Corners, we impact over 3,500 youth each year directly through United Reads. We need to collect a lot of books in order to accomplish our goal of promoting, encouraging and directly influencing both reading and literacy amongst our youth, and D.C. United's annual drive is our largest source for books."
At all D.C. United regular season home games, the United Drives booth will be located outside of RFK Stadium's Gate A and will open two hours prior to kickoff, closing 15 minutes into the first half. Any fan that donates an item will receive, as a thank you from the club, a "Buy One, Get One Free" ticket voucher good for any D.C. United regular season home game as well as a United promotional item.
Through United Drives, D.C. United chooses a different item to collect during each month of the season. The items collected by United Drives include children's toys (April) to benefit Children's National Medical Center, children's books (May) and school supplies (August) to benefit United for D.C., toiletry items (June) to benefit the Dinner Program for Homeless Women, canned food (July) to benefit the Capital Area Food Bank, soccer equipment (September) to benefit DC SCORES and coats and clothes (October) to benefit The Children's Center located in Ward 8.
For more information on the United Drives program or to receive more information about any of D.C. United's Community Relations' initiatives, please contact Catherine Marquette at 202-587-5443 or cmarquette@dcunited.com.
United Drives 2005 Schedule
Dates, Drive, Beneficiary
May (7th, 21st & 28th), Children's Book Drive, United for D.C.
June (15th & 18th), Toiletries Drive, Dinner Program for Homeless Women
July (9th, 15th & 28th), Food Drive, Capital Area Food Bank
August (10th, 13th & 20th), School Supplies Drive, United for D.C.
September (17th), Soccer Equipment Drive, DC SCORES
October (8th & 15th), Coat & Clothes Drive, The Children's Center
