WASHINGTON, DC - United for D.C, the charitable arm of D.C. United, reported today details of another successful year for the Kicks for Kids program. Since 2001, Kicks for Kids has provided free-of-charge tickets to regular season D.C. United home matches, free meal vouchers, t-shirts and access to transportation assistance to area non-profit organizations and other community-based groups that serve at-risk, disadvantaged or inner-city children. Thanks to the generous donations from its sponsors, Kicks For Kids donated 13,000 tickets to under-privileged youth and families. Receiving requests for over 25,000 tickets this season, the program was able to provide tickets to all 136 different organizations that submitted an application.
"Kicks for Kids continues to be one of our most successful community programs," said United for D.C. President of the Board Stephen Zack. "Thanks to the support of our generous sponsors, we are proud to share the excitement of a professional sporting event with disadvantaged youth in the DC area. We look forward to the continued growth of this program and other foundation initiatives."</p>
In addition to providing game access, Kicks for Kids also hosted two special events of its own this season. On June 10, the program held a reading-themed day in conjunction with the United Reads program, where 150 children from United Reads schools attended the game on Kicks for Kids tickets and each received three free books. The program also hosted the Second Annual United for D.C. Day on September 9, inviting more than 400 children from United for D.C.'s signature programs (Kicks for Kids, United Reads, and United Soccer Club) to attend D.C. United's home game against New England.
Various civic-minded corporations and foundations have generously donated dollars to support Kicks for Kids. United for D.C. recognizes the following sponsors for various levels of support: World Cup benefactors include The Colburn Family Foundation and Distributive Networks, the Championship level partner is Miller & Long; AOL, Forest City Washington, Jones Day, Washington Post Radio, and Zuckerman Spaeder, LLP are Black & Red partners, and adidas America, Aramark Sports & Entertainment, Brotman Winter Fried Communications, CSC, Levick Strategic Communications, and The Screaming Eagles all sponsor Kicks for Kids at the Supporters level.
United for D.C. thanks all the sponsors involved for helping make Kicks for Kids a success in 2007, and look forward to another great season in 2008. For more information about the Kicks for Kids program, please contact Sara Peterson at speterson@dcunited.com, or by phone at (202) 587-5434.
