“We will win championships and serve the community.”
That statement is prevalent in the halls of RFK Stadium. It’s not always that the club will achieve the former, but it’s a given the club will produce the latter in the form of partnerships, initiatives, drives and programs that make our region a better place. We do it out of a belief that it is our duty to give back to a community that supports us in so many ways as well as it being good business.
Those charged with developing our community relations strategy are among the best at what they do. The passion the team’s CR department has for United is matched only by their commitment to community involvement. While Aprile Pritchet oversees all elements of the club’s community programming, Kate McPhail, Kat Cheshire and Michael Vaughan Cherubin focus their efforts on United for D.C. initiatives and fundraisers (which I’ll cover further next week).
On the heels of holiday events at which players, staff and fans donated time, money and resources, attention was turned to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service and programs spanning the 2011 MLS season. The club will be hard pressed to eclipse the 800 hours of volunteer service generated in 2010. Strategic objectives include increasing advance promotion of events, increasing program awareness, strengthening key relationships and improving outreach in the Hispanic community.
Core programs will continue in 2011, with Community Stars being honored at each United home game, United Drives providing donation opportunities serving the needs of less fortunate throughout the year and United Builds events set for hands-on opportunities to give back. A host of special events are also in the works, including a clinic for mentally and physically disabled children, a training session for patients at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and a blood drive among other activities.
D.C. United is proud of the public works organized and carried out by the club. Having been honored by MLS for their community service efforts and as the 2010 U.S. Soccer Passback Team of the Year, the club is widely known for continued stellar effort. Expect no different from the Black-and-Red in 2011.
RELATED:Make a donation to United for D.C.
Check back to dcunited.com tomorrow, as I’ll be speaking to 2011 marketing objectives.
As Kevin Payne, Dave Kasper, Ben Olsen and our technical staff have been working hard to put a top-quality product on the field for D.C. United this season and to continuing the rapid development of our youth Academy system, the rest of the front office has put in the long hours necessary to be sure all other elements of our business are tended to in advance of the 2011 MLS campaign ahead.
Opening Night on Saturday, March 19 can’t come soon enough for players, staff and supporters alike. Over the ten days leading up to the Columbus game, I’ll walk through the business flow of our offices, sharing insight and updates on strategic development of ideas for the core areas of our focus. Under the leadership of Executive Vice President Stephen Zack, day-to-day business activities work in concert to create a seamless flow of information, activation and promotion, leading to sales. A dedicated customer service staff and high-energy support crew follow-up to maximize these opportunities.
Doug Hicks is D.C. United’s Senior Vice President, Marketing Communications. Follow him on twitter at @DCUDoug.
