SEATTLE, Wash. - Seattle Sounders FC has announced its regional representative for the 2016 MLS WORKS Community MVP.
Rachel Wilton of Washington Youth Soccer and Soccer for Success is driven, positive, and extremely compassionate about making a difference in her community. She has dedicated her career to Soccer for Success, a free after-school youth development program that uses soccer as a tool to combat childhood obesity and promote healthy lifestyles for children in low-income urban communities. The program combines physical activity, mentoring, nutrition and family engagement. The Soccer for Success program currently operates in 12 different elementary schools with programming in the fall and spring. Wilton organizes equipment drives to help provide necessary gear for players to participate in the program. As a result of Soccer for Success programming, 89% of participants feel better about themselves.
In addition to running Soccer for Success, Wilton volunteers her time organizing food drives for Northwest Harvest, Washington’s statewide hunger relief agency.
Wilton will have the opportunity to compete for a Grand Prize, as voted upon by the fans, of a $10,000 donation for her selected charity.
As the Sounders representative, Wilton will compete against Community MVP representatives from each MLS market in an online voting contest. Voting will take place via the MLS WORKS website beginning on Thursday, July 7through Thursday, July 28 at 1:00 PM PT The 2016 MLS WORKS Community MVP Grand Prize winner will be announced during a halftime ceremony at the 2016 AT&T MLS All-Star Game at Avaya Stadium in San Jose, California. The winner will also be announced via Twitter @MLSWORKS and on the MLS WORKS site.
All regional prize winners who do not win the Grand Prize will receive a $1,000 donation for their selected charity.