Following the completion of D.C. United's tenth campaign, the team's United Drives program wrapped up its fifth consecutive season of collections. Each month during the regular season, D.C. United collected various items to benefit D.C. area non-profit organizations. The last drive of the season consisted of a winter coat and clothes drive to benefit the Children's Center of Ward 8.
"United Drives is a wonderful program that involves our players, our staff and most importantly our fans," said D.C. United Director of Community Relations, Catherine Marquette. "Without the assistance of our supporters who attend our games throughout the season, we would be unable to help the beneficiaries of the United Drives initiative as we do. A special thanks also to United Bank, which truly backed our children's books and school supplies efforts, and to the US Soccer Foundation, which backed our gently used soccer equipment efforts."
Fans who donated items during the campaign received a "Buy One, Get One" ticket voucher, which was good for any United regular season home game. Fans and staff donated over 1,500 total items during the eight-month program. The organizations that benefited from this season's drives included the Children's National Medical Center (new children's toys), United for D.C. (new children's books and school supplies), the Dinner Program for Homeless Women (toiletries), DC SCORES (gently used soccer equipment) and the Children's Center in Ward 8 (coats & clothes).
Long-time team sponsor United Bank opened its doors during May and June to collect new children's books in all of its area branches and during August and September to collect school supplies to benefit D.C. United's non-profit arm, United for D.C., and its literacy program, United Reads. Team and Major League Soccer sponsor the US Soccer Foundation supported the efforts to collect much-needed gently used soccer equipment to benefit local inner-city soccer programs such as DC SCORES.
For more information on United Drives, or any of D.C. United's Community Relations efforts, please contact Catherine Marquette at 202-587-5443 or at cmarquette@dcunited.com.
