Major League Soccer on Tuesday announced LA Galaxy defender AJ DeLaGarza as the 2014 MLS WORKS Humanitarian of the Year.
DeLaGarza, 27, has been a cornerstone of the Galaxy defense and a key to the team’s success in his six seasons with the club. Off the field, the Guam international is the first to volunteer his time to support the Los Angeles community. DeLaGarza has graciously given his time to Camps for Kids, visiting patients at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and unveiling a new soccer field in South Los Angeles.
The Maryland product also participated in the LA Galaxy Foundation’s Annual Golf Tournament, volunteered for the LA Galaxy 5K & Cozmo Family Run and helped raise funds for the LA Galaxy Foundation’s involvement in LAFEST, a charity-based soccer tournament held at StubHub Center, among many other service projects.
Earlier this year, MLS and the sports world rallied around DeLaGarza and his family when his son Luca was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect before birth. The Maryland native immediately thought of the other families affected by this condition and directed all monetary support to the Heart Center at CHLA, raising over $25,000.
DeLaGarza, who was also named the 2014 LA Galaxy Humanitarian of the Year, becomes the first player in Galaxy history to earn the award. As part of the award, DeLaGarza has been awarded $5,000 by MLS and will donate $2,500 each to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) and spcaLA.
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A two-time NCAA national champion at the University of Maryland, DeLaGarza joined the Galaxy in 2009 and has played nearly 160 MLS games for the club, including two MLS Cup triumphs in 2011 and 2012 and Supporters’ Shield-winning campaigns in 2010 and 2011.
The award was voted on by media, MLS players and MLS club management. The other two finalists were FC Dallas defender Zach Loyd and Portland Timbers midfielder Diego Chara.
