Seattle Sounders FC today shared details surrounding the club’s annual Pride Match presented by Starbucks, taking place Saturday, June 22 as the Rave Green host FC Dallas (7:30 p.m. PT / Apple TV, 93.3 KJR FM, El Rey 1360 AM). Celebrating inclusion, the Pride Match provides an opportunity for Sounders FC to reaffirm its ongoing commitment to Stand for LGBTQ+ Equality, one of the four main tenets of the club’s Social Justice Framework.
Gates open at 6:00 p.m. PT on Saturday and fans are encouraged to arrive early in order to secure a stadium Pride tote, courtesy of Starbucks. This free gate giveaway item is made from stadium-approved clear plastic with a rainbow design and handles along with Sounders FC and Starbucks branding and is available to the first 10,000 fans through entry gates.
Throughout Pride month, Sounders FC and RAVE Foundation have partnered with **TransFamilies**, a local nonprofit organization that has been supporting transgender people and their families since 2008. On Saturday, that partnership is reflected through several activations, as the Regence Dream Team is composed from Transfamilies youth and the proceeds from the RAVE Foundation 50/50 raffle benefit Transfamilies.
Saturday also sees the kickoff of the Score with Pride program, presented by Starbucks and benefiting RAVE Foundation. Starting with tomorrow’s match, for each goal scored by Sounders FC throughout the season, Starbucks will generously donate $500 to RAVE Foundation up to a maximum donation of $25,000 per season, to support RAVE’s work as an ally and advocate for LGBTQ+ youth, with a focus on play equity. Sounders FC and RAVE Foundation are committed to amplifying the voices of partners and leading from within the sport to create inclusive spaces for all. RAVE Foundation works to help make Washington State the most inclusive place for gender-diverse youth to play soccer in the United States, while partnering with experts to create and share gender inclusive policies within youth sports.
Fans should be sure to visit the Pro Shop at Lumen Field on Saturday, where a selection of exclusive Pride retail items are available, including the official 2024 adidas “Love Unites” Pride pre-match top. Additionally, the club’s own Pride collection is available, which includes a Pride t-shirt, baseball cap and scarf. A portion of the proceeds from the Sounders FC Pride retail collection benefits Transfamilies.
As fans explore the stadium, they can find a wide variety of activities to explore and entertainment to enjoy, including:
• Sounders Legends – To celebrate the club’s 50th anniversary, each of Sounders FC’s home matches in 2024 highlights a former player who is honored on the field before kickoff and meets with fans at a pre-match autograph station. Saturday’s match features former MLS-era Sounder Lamar Neagle.
• Sparkling Ice “Anything But Subtle” Fan Zone – At this space, fans can find face paint, temporary tattoos and more to creatively express their Sounders spirit. At halftime of each game, the most enthusiastic and decorated fan in attendance is selected as the Sparkling Ice Anything But Subtle Fan of the Match and rewarded with a Sparkling Ice prize pack.
• The Providence Challenge – Fans can test their soccer skills through three different activities at The Providence Challenge, as well as having the opportunity to nominate a local hero as part of the new Community Assist of the Match. Community Assist of the Match winners – selected at every game – receives tickets to an upcoming Sounders match, recognition at halftime and a videoboard feature, a custom jersey and an exclusive Sounders Community Assist custom scarf.
• Crossbar Challenge, Presented by Western Washington Toyota Dealers – Located behind Section 144 and taking place pre-match, the first five fans to hit the crossbar in this interactive skills challenge earn a chance to take a kick on-field at halftime. If a fan hits a crossbar at halftime, Western Washington Toyota Dealers donates $1,000 to RAVE Foundation.
• Soccer Skee-ball – This activation allows fans to play a soccer-themed version of Skee-Ball, kicking a ball down a ramp, rather than rolling it, to score as many points as possible.
• Sounders Gaming Station – Challenge an opponent to a friendly match of EA Sports FC ’24.
Throughout the stadium on Saturday, Sounders FC’s support of Pride Month is illustrated in various ways, including through video board graphics, PA reads, on-field displays, rainbow pre-game pyrotechnics and a selection of flags and banners, including the giant Progress Pride flag flying atop Lumen Field’s Toyota Fan Deck. The annual flag raising is taking place later this afternoon, with the help of Sounders FC players Raúl Ruidíaz and Danny Leyva, Reign FC players Lauren Barnes, Jess Fishlock and Tziarra King, Starbucks representative and Store Manager Macoy McLaughlin and TransFamilies representative and Director of Programs Odetta Owen Boudreau.
On the field, players this Saturday are wearing adidas “Love Unites” Pride-themed warmup tops and game jerseys for the night’s match feature special numbering in Progress Pride coloring. RAVE Foundation is hosting an online auction of player-worn and autographed Pride pre-match tops and match jerseys, with half of all auction proceeds supporting community partner TransFamilies.
The auction opens online at 10:00 a.m. PT on matchday and closes at the end of halftime.
In addition to Lumen Field’s wide-ranging concessions, special refreshments can be purchased at rotating matchday BIPOC and diverse-owned food trucks. The selection on Saturday includes MexiCuban, a local restaurant that combines Mexican and Cuban cuisines to create a fusion of flavors representing both cultures, and Zuri’s Gourmet Donutz, giving fans something sweet with a variety of unique donut flavors.
In addition, the PNW Marketplace concessions area located outside of Section 113 features LGBTQ-owned pop-up restaurants Frelard Tamales, specializing in handmade tamales using high-quality, fresh ingredients, and A la Mode Pies, a neighborhood bakery specializing in handmade pies with three Seattle locations in Ballard, Phinney Ridge and West Seattle.
In celebration of Pride Month, Sounders FC and fellow Seattle professional sports teams are working with Intentionalist to encourage fans to #SpendLikeItMatters at LGBTQ-owned businesses. Fans can upload receipts from any LGBTQ-owned small business through the month of June and be entered to win a variety of prizes from their favorite sports teams and Intentionalist.
For further information regarding any of the activities mentioned here, please contact a member of Sounders FC Communications. To learn more about Sounders FC matchdays, health and safety and how to be prepared to attend a match, visit SoundersFC.com/Matchday/Know-Before-You-Go.
