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USL Charleston Battery

Battery Launch Goals for Gardens Fundraiser Initiative with Green Heart Project and Tempest

April 18, 2024 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Charleston Battery News Release


CHARLESTON, S.C. - The Charleston Battery, Tempest by 5th Street Restaurant Group and the Green Heart Project have teamed up to launch the Goals for Gardens initiative, the organizations announced Monday. Goals for Gardens will aim to fund local community garden projects throughout the Charleston area.

The initiative activates Battery sponsors, fans, community business leaders and individual donors to raise money to support the Farm To School program. For each goal scored by the Battery, a donation will be made to help meet the $100,000 campaign fundraising objective.

If the goal is met, the funds will contribute to a new community/school garden project that will break ground in 2025. The remaining funds will be used to support current Farm to School projects managed by the Green Heart Project.

"Green Heart is an amazing organization addressing a critical need in our local community, we are excited to amplify their efforts and fantastic mission," said club chairman Rob Salvatore. "Great thanks to chef Jamie Lynch and 5th Street Group for their initiative to bring us all together. The team is off to a great start, scoring a bunch, and we encourage our other partners to match the $100 per goal to maximize the program's impact."

Additional fundraising efforts are included in the initiative, with the first being a special-edition Goals for Gardens t-shirt available in the team shop. Second is a one-off game jersey that will be worn for the August 10 match, a night celebrating the Goals for Gardens campaign. The player-worn jerseys will be autographed and auctioned off after the game. Proceeds from both will directly benefit the fundraiser.

"The Green Heart Project is thrilled to provide hands-on, garden-based learning for students in the Charleston area through this partnership," said Jesse Blom, executive director of The Green Heart Project. "We'll be cheering on each goal this season as an investment in a healthy future for our children and our community."

"My love of soccer is rooted in the community aspect of the sport, no other sport in the world brings together a wide cross-section of a community around a shared passion for a club," said Jamie Lynch, chef partner of 5th Street Group. "What better way to raise awareness, money and education to address one of the most important community issues, food insecurity, than to partner with our city's club, the Charleston Battery."

Sustainability and food security take center stage in this initiative, as the partnership recognizes the critical impact of supporting local businesses like 5th Street Group's Tempest and making fresh, healthy food accessible. Shopping locally reduces carbon emissions associated with transportation and supports businesses prioritizing sustainable practices.

Additionally, community garden programs increase access and exposure to healthy food for community members. In turn, this develops the knowledge and skills to help individuals take control of their food source and their nutritional health.

Community drives the Goals for Gardens campaign, as the organizations unite to create positive change. The partnership will both raise funds to support local community gardens and foster connections within the Lowcountry around the important issues of food security, sustainability and health.

About The Green Heart Project - The Green Heart Project is a Charleston-based nonprofit that builds garden-based experiential learning projects and school garden programs to educate students, connect people and cultivate community through growing, eating and celebrating food. Green Heart serves 3,000 students across 19 school and community organizations.

About 5th Street Group - 5th Street Group is a restaurant group best known for the popular establishment Church and Union and the farm-to-table restaurant, Tempest, which features locally caught seafood and farmed produce on its menu. Chef Partner Jamie Lynch is spearheading the Goals for Gardens initiative within the Charleston restaurant community. Chef Jamie and Tempest will be participating in the initiative through tasting menus and cooking demonstrations held at Charleston Battery and Green Heart Project events.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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