LA Galaxy launch Foundation Fridays community initiative
The LA Galaxy have announced the launch of LA Galaxy Foundation Fridays, a series of monthly community service initiatives in the Los Angeles area throughout the 2016 season. The community service projects will feature LA Galaxy staff, alumni, Academy teams, alliance clubs, and supporter groups in one-day volunteer opportunities each month, beginning this Friday, Jan. 29, at Hawthorne Memorial Park in a community paint day and new soccer field unveiling.
“We’re thrilled to kick off LA Galaxy Foundation Fridays for the 2016 season,” said LA Galaxy Community Relations and LA Galaxy Foundation Director Lauren Nowinski. “Investing in the community is a continual commitment of the LA Galaxy as we develop new and engaging ways to give back. It is an honour to serve those around us and we look forward to increasing our efforts through this program.”
To kick off Foundation Fridays, LA Galaxy will be partnering with the City of Hawthorne and DaVinci Schools to participate in a Community Paint Day at Hawthorne Memorial Park on Friday, Jan. 29. Students from DaVinci Design High School will design murals that reflect themes of community pride and the beauty of soccer from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. PT.
Beginning at 3 p.m. PT, LA Galaxy players Steven Gerrard, Gyasi Zardes, A.J. DeLaGarza, and Baggio Husidic will join with partners Chevy to dedicate three new fields that the LA Galaxy and Chevrolet transformed from neglected tennis courts in the park, where soccer was previously banned. The new soccer fields are dedicated through Chevy’s “Beautiful Possibilities” programme.
In addition to the Community Paint Day at Hawthorne Memorial Park, LA Galaxy Foundation Fridays will feature a Santa Ana Graffiti Removal Day (Feb. 26), Vietnam Veteran Celebration at VA Hospital (March 18), and TreePeople Volunteer Day (April 22). Additional information for each event, along with all Foundation Fridays events, will be announced at a later date.
The Foundation Fridays follows the LA Galaxy’s 20 for Twenty, a year-long community outreach programme that saw the implementation of over 100 community service projects to celebrate the club’s 20th season in MLS. Overall, over 415 LA Galaxy volunteers spent over 2,000 hours in the Los Angeles community in various service projects, including welcoming 100 high school girls to attend the Galaxy’s first Women’s Soccer Seminar, signing the LA Galaxy Special Olympics team, donating over 5,700 tickets to non-profit youth groups, and contributing over half a million dollars to community programs and national non-profits, among others.