Seattle Sounders FC today announced activities surrounding the club’s home match this Wednesday against FC Dallas (7:00 p.m. PT / JOEtv, Prime Video, 950 KJR AM, El Rey 1360 AM). The game is themed as a celebration of play and the work being done in the community to support efforts for free play. Defending the right to play – with an emphasis on improving health outcomes for youth and the community – is one of Sounders FC’s four core social justice arenas for change, supported by the team’s official Social Justice Framework, and an important part of the mission of the organization’s charitable arm, RAVE Foundation.
Fans are encouraged to arrive early to explore pregame opportunities. In the Lumen Field North Plaza, the spirit of play comes to life, as youth are invited to take part in part in pickup soccer with RAVE Foundation partner Cultures United, and fans of all ages are encouraged to use chalk to add their own designs surrounding a large installation of a special “PLAY!” design created by local artist, activist and Sounders FC fan, Teddy “Stat” Phillips.
Phillips is known for his powerful portraiture and use of color, with images from his series of portraits honoring those killed unjustly – including George Floyd – used at protests and demonstrations across the country. Phillips additionally provided artwork for the letter I in the BLACK LIVES MATTER street mural in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, designed the captain’s armband used by Sounders FC at last summer’s MLS Is Back Tournament, and assisted with RAVE Foundation art programming as part of Northwest African American Museum’s Juneteenth celebrations this summer.
In the Lumen Field Pro Shop, limited edition PLAY! t-shirts are available for $15, featuring Phillips’ design and with all proceeds benefiting RAVE Foundation and its work using soccer as a vehicle to inspire youth and strengthen communities.
In Soccer Celebration – the northwest corner of the stadium’s main concourse – fans can view and bid on original art created by Sounders FC players, including Jordan Morris (whose art is pictured here), Nicolás Lodeiro, Cristian Roldan, Raul Ruidíaz and others. These unique pieces were created by players in June, as they took part in a GOALS for Art session – one of RAVE Foundation’s popular programs.
In GOALS for Art, youth are led by local artists-in-residence to express themselves through art, with their creations then used on the designs of the goals placed on RAVE Foundation fields and mini pitches where those youth live. The program gives young people an artistic outlet and the opportunity to be stakeholders in their communities, seeing their own artwork reflected on the field where they are able to grow and play.
The art created by Sounders FC players can both be viewed in person or online at Sounders.GiveSmart.com, with the auction for these one-of-a-kind pieces of Rave Green memorabilia closing at the end of halftime. All proceeds benefit RAVE Foundation.
Fifty youth from RAVE communities in Burien, Renton, South Park and White Center are attending the game courtesy of RAVE Foundation, and, in support of the organization’s work to use soccer to help meet the needs of youth in communities served, Zulily is generously providing clear swag bags full of back-to-school supplies to these young fans.
Various RAVE Foundation programs will be highlighted throughout the match, and at halftime the club recognizes a significant RAVE milestone: By the end of 2021, RAVE Foundation will have built 10 fields for free play in the Puget Sound region. RAVE fields and mini pitches are unrentable, meaning they remain open and available at all times to the communities they are built to serve, preserving play opportunities for all children.
RAVE Foundation’s current goal is to build 26 such fields in the region by 2026, anchoring additional programming that supports and fosters whole, healthy children.
At halftime, in conjunction with the announcement celebrating 10 fields, former Sounder and RAVE Foundation trustee Roger Levesque will be joined on the field by 10 youth, each from one of the communities represented by current RAVE fields, recognizing the accomplishment and pride within each community.
Throughout the match fans will also hear more about an upcoming opportunity to support RAVE Foundation through a fan-centered GOALS for Art session, led by the previously mentioned Teddy “Stat” Phillips and Sounders FC goalkeeper Stefan Frei. Phillips and Frei are scheduled to host the virtual GOALS for Art class on August 9 at 7:00 p.m. PT.
For a $100 donation to RAVE Foundation, participants receive all art supplies needed for the class, a limited-edition PLAY! t-shirt and the opportunity to learn from Phillips and Frei. Those interested in registering for this special RAVE Foundation GOALS for Art session can do so at the following link: https://sndrs.com/a328mb.
