ECHL Charlotte Checkers

Checkers unveil "Soccer on Ice"

Published on February 16, 2005 under ECHL (ECHL)
Charlotte Checkers News Release


CHARLOTTE, NC - In conjunction with the Latin American Chamber of Commerce of Charlotte (LACCC) and La Noticia Newspaper, the Charlotte Checkers proudly present Futbol Sobre Hielo, or in English..."Soccer On Ice." The event will take place on Friday, February 18 at 7:00 PM when the Checkers take on the Mississippi Sea Wolves.

"Soccer on Ice" was first conceived by Checkers Vice President of Communications & Promotions Rob Healy, Checkers President Jeff Longo, Elisa Rodriguez (Vice Chair, LACCC), Hilda Gurdian (Publisher, La Noticia), and Checkers Community Relations intern North Moore. After all, the sport is very similar to soccer and the Checkers are themselves owned by Felix Sabates who was born in Cuba.

The first professional sports team in Charlotte to join the LACCC, the Checkers sponsored a luncheon for the Chamber in November where Checkers CEO Carl Scheer unveiled the new plan. Following the Checkers commitment to diversifying the hockey fan base, the Checkers are taking steps to make the sport accessible to the over 150,000 Spanish-speaking residents of Charlotte-Mecklenburg.

The Checkers now offer a section of the game day newspaper translated into Spanish (courtesy of La Noticia). For the first time, the Checkers are covered every week in La Noticia. The Checkers are adding a section to their website which will feature all articles translated into Spanish. And a special voice mailbox is available after hours for Spanish-speaking fans to leave comments or ask questions. That is just the beginning.

"Given our family-oriented atmosphere, reasonable ticket prices, and similarity to the wildly popular sport of soccer, the union seemed like a perfect fit," said Healy. "All it took was putting the right pieces in place. Thanks to our strategic partnerships and unanimous support from the owners and upper management, we are able to take the first step in what we hope will be a long journey together."

The evening itself promises to feature something for everyone. During one intermission, the LACCC has arranged for Mariachi Michoacan to play for the crowd. The mariachi band and representatives from the LACCC and La Noticia will welcome guests to Cricket Arena before the game. During the second intermission, three Elvis impersonators will serenade the crowd. Leading up to the event, La Noticia has featured weekly articles in its sports section explaining the rules and introducing the personalities behind the sport.

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