SEATTLE, WASH. – Sounders FC is encouraging fans to arrive early for Saturday’s full-stadium match – presented by matchday partner Xbox – against Vancouver Whitecaps FC (1:00 p.m. PT / JOEtv, ROOT SPORTS, Univision-Seattle, KIRO Radio 97.3 FM, El Rey 1360 AM) for an assortment of matchday activities, including a Golden Scarf presentation to former Sounders FC executive and Seattle sports icon Gary Wright. Fans are also encouraged to bring books or monetary donations to The UPS Store ® Book Drive occurring Saturday, benefiting the Toys for Tots Literacy Program.
Additional matchday activities include a giveaway of 10,000 sunglasses at the gates from matchday presenting partner Xbox, a 2017 Hyundai Elantra car giveaway, the distribution of “Fuerza Román” t-shirts to celebrate the return of defender Román Torres and an exclusive post-match chalk-talk with General Manager & President of Soccer Garth Lagerwey that is open to all Season Ticket Members. CenturyLink Field is open to its full capacity Saturday for the fourth time this season, with tickets remaining for the Cascadia Cup clash via the following link: http://sndrs.com/vw48.
MEDIA RESOURCES
GARY WRIGHT BIO: http://sndrs.com/gjhu
GARY WRIGHT Q&A: http://sndrs.com/3bvr
SATURDAY’S MATCHDAY PAGE: http://sndrs.com/pkes
An instrumental part of Seattle’s MLS launch and the club’s modern-day success, Wright was named Sounders FC Senior Vice President of Business Operations on March 24, 2008 following 32 years of service with the Seattle Seahawks, including his final 21 seasons as Vice President. In 2009, he helped spearhead one of the most successful launches of a franchise in American sports history, as Sounders FC set an MLS season record for attendance of 30,897 fans-per-match, receiving the Doug Hamilton MLS Executive of the Year Award at year’s end. The following season, Sounders FC earned the Sports Business Journal Award for Professional Franchise of the Year, and Wright was honored as 2011 Executive of the Year at the 77th Seattle Sports Star of the Year Awards, as Sounders FC continued to break MLS attendance records each season. Under his stewardship, Wright helped guide the organization into the top 30 of the best-attended professional clubs in global football.
“To be recognized by the club and receive a Golden Scarf is a tremendous honor,” said Wright. “This city has a remarkable soccer culture and history, and to be a part of what that culture is today is something I’m incredibly proud of. It was a collective effort on behalf of this entire community to get us to this point, and today we have the greatest soccer city in the United States. I look forward to celebrating our collective achievement at Saturday’s match with everyone in the stadium.”
An original Seattle Seahawks employee hired in 1976 as Director of Publicity, Wright was chosen by Steve Largent to be his presenter at Largent’s Pro Hall of Fame induction in 1995. Wright was later inducted in the Pacific Northwest Football Hall of Fame in 2008 in the “associate” category, right before switching gears to help lead Sounders FC’s expansion efforts. At the conclusion of his career with the Seahawks in 2008, CenturyLink Field named the Gary Wright Press Box in his honor.
Additional matchday elements surrounding Sounders FC’s clash with Vancouver on Saturday include The UPS Store ® Book Drive upon entry at each gate within CenturyLink Field. Fans are encouraged to bring new books or monetary donations to support the Toys for Tots Literacy Program, benefiting local youth, ages pre-school through high school. Volunteers from the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation and The UPS Store ®, the exclusive sponsor of the Toys for Tots Literacy Program, are set to be stationed at all gates to collect books and monetary donations. 100 percent of the books and funds collected at the match benefit economically disadvantaged children in the greater Seattle area through a local group called Page Ahead Children's Literacy Program. Page Ahead is dedicated to helping children in need succeed in school by developing reading skills. Fans unable to attend the match may still participate in the book drive by dropping off books or monetary donations at local The UPS Store ® locations leading up to the match.
Hyundai is giving away a new 2017 Hyundai Elantra to one lucky Sounders FC fan at halftime of Saturday’s match. Four previously-selected finalists will open a different car door, revealing a colored soccer ball that corresponds to a PLINKO chip on the digital videoboards around the stadium. The contestant whose colored chip bounces into the “WIN” column will take home a brand new 2017 Hyundai Elantra.
To honor defender Román Torres’ long-awaited return from injury, Sounders FC is giving away 500 limited edition “Fuerza Román” t-shirts at Soccer Celebration on Saturday. The Panamanian National Team captain was activated from the Disabled List on August 23 and made his return to the pitch with 45 minutes of action at Portland on August 28. Torres made his first start of the season last Saturday against the Earthquakes, nearly one year to the day since suffering a torn ACL on September 12, 2015 in the same building at Avaya Stadium in San Jose. Shirts are limited to one per person, while supplies last.
Alliance Council is inviting Season Ticket Members to exclusively join General Manager & President of Soccer Garth Lagerwey after Saturday’s match to hear about what fans have to look forward to for the rest of this season and going into 2017. After the match ends, STMs interested should proceed to the west side of the stadium and take a seat in or near section 134. Please do not proceed to the west side until the final whistle has blown.
Saturday's March to the Match festivities begin at 11:00 a.m. PT in Occidental Park, featuring a special performance by nine-piece soul and funk band Planet Fly at 11:30 a.m. PT. The March itself, one of the best traditions in American sports started by the Emerald City Supporters, departs from Occidental Park at 12:00 p.m. PT for CenturyLink Field.
As part of September’s efforts to #KickChildhoodCancer, fans can help find a cure for every child with cancer by purchasing an exclusive Kick Childhood Cancer scarf at the Sounders FC Pro Shop Saturday at CenturyLink while supplies last. Proceeds go to The Austen Everett Foundation and Children's Oncology Group. Complete information on the club’s month-long campaign can be found via the following link: http://sndrs.com/q594.
An expanded Soccer Celebration on Saturday includes booths from Xbox, Coca-Cola, Amica, Hyundai and more. By checking out the Xbox experience at CenturyLink Field, fans can play FIFA 17 before it launches on September 27. Complete information on the booths in Soccer Celebration can be found on Saturday’s matchday page via the following link: http://sndrs.com/pkes.
Following a 1-1 road draw with the San Jose Earthquakes over the weekend, Sounders FC continues its late-season push for a spot in the 2016 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs Saturday afternoon against Vancouver Whitecaps FC (1:00 p.m. PT / JOEtv, ROOT SPORTS, Univision-Seattle, KIRO Radio 97.3 FM, El Rey 1360 AM). CenturyLink Field is open to its full capacity on Saturday as the Rave Green look to continue their positive momentum under Interim Head Coach Brian Schmetzer, who is 3-1-3 since taking over managerial duties on July 26.
