MLS Chicago Fire FC

Chicago Fire Weekly Update

Published on November 1, 2004 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Chicago Fire FC News Release


Boucicaut Hurricane Relief Fund Continues

Chicago Fire and Haitian National Team midfielder Alexandre Boucicaut is spearheading a relief effort for victims of the hurricanes that have destroyed much of Haiti over the past two months. In conjunction with Illinois Youth Soccer, the Boucicaut Hurricane Relief Fund will be collecting soccer equipment and monetary donations to rebuild the Caribbean nation's youth soccer programs and provide relief to the island's beleaguered residents. After donating one of his MLS paychecks to help out his friends and family back home, Boucicaut is hoping to raise greater awareness of the difficult conditions in the country after the natural disasters caused heavy damage and killed more than 1,600 people. Boucicaut will be traveling back to his native Haiti in December and will personally distribute the collected goods to youth soccer programs and the national youth soccer academy, while monetary donations will go to general relief efforts through non-profit organizations. The distribution event will provide a treat for Haitian children, as the 22-year-old soccer star enjoys the popularity of a national hero in the small Caribbean country.

Addresses to send both soccer equipment and monetary donations can be found below. The deadline for the receipt of all donations has been set for Wednesday, Dec. 1.

New and gently used equipment can be shipped to:
Boucicaut Hurricane Relief Fund
c/o Illinois Youth Soccer
939 Industrial Drive
Bensenville, IL 60106

Monetary donations can be sent to:
Boucicaut Hurricane Relief Fund
c/o Illinois Youth Soccer
1655 S. Arlington Heights Rd.
Arlington Heights, IL 60005
(Checks can be made to Illinois Youth Soccer with "Boucicaut Hurricane Relief Fund" in the memo line.)

Fans Can Pre-Order Fire's New Puma "Chicago Flag" Third Kits Through Nov. 12

The Chicago Fire and PUMA® have announced a new playing kit set to debut during the 2005 season that will supplement the Fire's existing home and away uniforms during select matches throughout the season. Taking into account the spirit and culture of Chicago and the dedication of its fans, PUMA has created the third uniform as homage to the Windy City with a jersey references the City of Chicago's municipal flag in both design and color palette. While retaining the signature Fire badge branding, the new jersey, like the flag, features white stripes across the chest and side panels that signify the north, south and west sides of the city. The baby blue color of the jersey symbolizes Lake Michigan, the Chicago River and the Great Canal. Scheduled for release in May 2005, the Fire will be holding a special pre-order sale through Nov. 12 that includes free shipping. To order, please call 1-888-MLS-FIRE.

FireWorks for Kids Foundation to Host Chicagoland Premiere of "Christmas with the Kranks" on Nov. 23

After its successful event surrounding the film "Mona Lisa Smile" last November, the FireWorks for Kids Foundation - the charitable arm of the Chicago Fire - announced last week that it will be hosting another Chicagoland movie premiere during the holidays, this time for the new Revolution Films movie "Christmas with the Kranks." The special event will take place on Nov. 23 at the Regal Cinemas in Lincolnshire, IL, and all proceeds from the movie premiere will go towards the FireWorks for Kids Foundation. The film, a new holiday-themed comedy based on John Grisham's novel Skipping Christmas, stars Tim Allen, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Dan Akroyd and is scheduled for a nationwide release on Nov. 24. To receive more information on the event, please call the FireWorks for Kids Foundation office at 312-705-7260 or 312-705-7218, or visit the Community section of www.Chicago-Fire.com in the upcoming weeks for more details.

Herron Selected as Honda MLS Player of the Month

The Professional Soccer Reporters Association has selected Fire forward and Costa Rican international Andy Herron as the Honda MLS Player of the Month for October. Herron, who played in only four games with the "Men in Red" during the 2004 campaign, garnered Honda Player of the Week honors twice and was the only Fire player to be recognized with the monthly honor this season. Herron began the month by notching a pair of goals for the second game in a row on Oct. 2 against the Columbus Crew, bringing the Fire back from a pair of one-goal deficits in the second half. The tallies helped the "Men in Red" earn a crucial point via a 3-3 draw at Crew Stadium during its chase for a spot in the 2004 MLS Cup Playoffs. Herron's first goal, a stunning first-touch blast from 20 yards near the hour mark, would level the match at 2-2 and earn him his first MLS Sierra Mist Goal of the Week honor. Herron would have the week's runner-up as well, as his 81st minute goal would cap the scoring in the contest, giving the Fire the important road result.

Herron's performance against the Crew made him only the second player in League history to score two goals in each of his first two starts (Carlos Ruiz in 2002), in addition to making him only the second player in Fire history to capture back-to-back Honda MLS Player of the Week awards (Ante Razov in 2000). The record-making Herron could have had the chance to win three awards in a row, but was called into National Team duty for Costa Rica and was forced to miss the Fire's Oct. 6 contest against Columbus in Chicago's home season finale. With the "Ticos," Herron helped his squad to a 5-0 win against Guatemala in the semifinal round of CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying on Oct. 9 and a 3-1 victory over Canada on Oct. 13.

Bridgeview Tabs Rossetti Group and Turner Construction to Plan, Build America's Soccer Home

The Village of Bridgeview -- the future home of the Chicago Fire -- has approved the hiring of Turner Construction Company and Rossetti to oversee the construction and architecture projects, respectively, for Bridgeview's 20,000-seat, world-class soccer stadium that will house the Major League Soccer team permanently, with a targeted move-in date of Spring 2006. The stadium is scheduled to break ground later this fall. Chicago-based Turner Construction, which managed the highly acclaimed Soldier Field renovations, will handle the administration of the construction project and oversee all the trade contractors. Turner Chicago has played a major part in shaping skylines in and outside of Chicago, and is responsible for the construction of more than 100 buildings in Cook County, the collar counties and beyond. Based in Michigan, Rossetti is the leading sports architecture firm in America. Rossetti is responsible for designing America's most ambitious soccer stadium to date - The Home Depot Center in Carson, CA - and has also designed several other innovative sports venues, such as the Palace at Auburn Hills (NBA), Corel Center (NHL), Ford Field (NFL), and USTA Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Check out the Chicago Fire FC Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Major League Soccer Stories from November 1, 2004


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.

OurSports Central