Sounders FC announced a special online auction taking place today, through which fans can bid on player-worn and autographed pre-match warmup tops, with all proceeds benefiting the Alliance for Gun Responsibility Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization working to end the gun violence crisis through public education. The tops – worn by Sounders FC players on Sunday, May 29 ahead of the team’s 2-1 victory over Charlotte FC – feature the message “Wear Orange” on the front, with each player’s number on the back neck and include the likes of Nico Lodeiro, Jordan Morris, Raúl Ruidíaz and more. Each top has also been individually autographed by respective players.
Bidding opens today, Friday, June 3, and runs from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. PT. Tops can be viewed, and bids placed at Sounders.GiveSmart.com.
“Today, as we recognize National Gun Violence Awareness Day and Wear Orange Weekend, our club and RAVE Foundation are proud to partner with the Alliance for Gun Responsibility Foundation to raise funds for their important work through this auction of our players’ Wear Orange warmup tops,” said Sounders FC Majority Owner Adrian Hanauer. “Gun violence is a crucial issue affecting our communities, and the Sounders are passionate about using our platform to make a difference through supporting the evidence-based work being done by experts in the field of prevention. We can’t sit idly by and hope that something will change; we all have to make an effort to bring that change forth, and it’s going to involve doing more than we have done in the past. Today’s auction is a step in that direction.”
The online auction gives fans a chance to bid on truly one-of-a-kind Sounders memorabilia, while raising money for The Alliance for Gun Responsibility Foundation, which regularly gathers national and local subject matter experts together to share information and discuss the intersectionality of gun violence with a number of research and advocacy issues, including suicide prevention, domestic violence, hate crimes, trauma-informed care, stigma and discrimination. Each summit focuses on evidence-based best practices, next steps and coordination of prevention efforts. The Foundation works in collaboration with experts, civic leaders and citizens to find evidence-based solutions to the crisis of gun violence in the community, while creating innovative policy, advocating for changes in laws and promoting community education.
Today’s auction furthers Sounders FC’s social justice framework, specifically the framework’s tenets of fighting racism and defending the right to play. Gun violence is a national public safety issue that affects youth and disproportionately impacts communities of color.
“The mission of RAVE Foundation is to build small fields for free play and invest in programs that use soccer to inspire youth and strengthen communities,” said RAVE Foundation Executive Director Ashley Fosberg. “RAVE is committed to defending every child’s right to play, and safety is fundamental to that commitment. Free play in a safe environment supports mental, physical and emotional health outcomes. This must include support for children in their communities off the pitch. In the wake of the tragedies over the past month, and in response to Adrian’s call to do more, RAVE Foundation will once again partner with Sounders FC to assist with this special auction of player-worn warmup kits from last week to support another non-profit organization working with young people to support healthy, engaged and supported students. We often ask, ‘How can soccer help?’ This is a start.”
Following the tragic events last week in Uvalde, Texas, the Rave Green announced the club’s intention to bring awareness to the Wear Orange movement at their May 29 match. Started in 2015 in memory of Hadiya Pendleton – who at age 15 marched in President Barack Obama’s second inaugural parade in 2013 and was then tragically shot and killed on a playground in Chicago a week later – Wear Orange encourages the wearing or display of the color orange, the defining color of the gun violence prevention movement, and taking steps to encourage meaningful change.
More information about Sounders FC’s plans to raise awareness surrounding gun violence prevention and the collective pledge of Seattle sports teams to use their platforms to push forward positive change and work to end gun violence can be found here.
