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MLS Seattle Sounders FC

RAVE Foundation, Delta Air Lines and Burien Community Celebrate Grand Opening of New Mini Pitch at Seahurst Elementary this Thursday

June 29, 2021 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Seattle Sounders FC News Release


SEATTLE, WASH. - This Thursday, July 1, from 5:00 - 6:30 p.m. PT, Seattle Sounders FC's charitable arm, RAVE Foundation, and partner Delta Air Lines are hosting an official grand opening event for a new mini pitch and renewed playspace at Seahurst Elementary in Burien, Washington.

This official community opening event unveils the new mini pitch, EarthGen gardens and a special mural (pictured here), while also featuring food, music, free t-shirts for children, and culminates with a free RAVE soccer ball giveaway and soccer skills training for youth by RAVE partner, Washington Youth Soccer Foundation. Former Sounder and current team brand ambassador Brad Evans will serve as emcee, with short addresses from various community officials.

Residing within Highline Public Schools, Seahurst Elementary serves approximately 400 students from diverse backgrounds, including 85 percent of students who qualify for free or reduced-priced meals and 39 percent of students who are enrolled in the English Language Learner program.

The Seahurst mini pitch marks the seventh mini pitch driven by RAVE Foundation and Sounders FC's commitment to Defend the Right to Play, focusing efforts on youth in communities of color and in historically marginalized communities in the Puget Sound region - one of the core tenets of Sounders FC's Social Justice Framework. This mini pitch also marks the third playspace built in partnership with Delta, along with mini pitches located at Valley Ridge Playfield and Valley View Early Learning Center in SeaTac. RAVE Foundation mini pitches are unrentable, meaning they remain open and available at all times to the communities they were built to serve.

The transformed playspace at Seahurst is designed to be an important community resource. The school's former playspace was comprised of sand and did not lend itself to encouraging active play, but through the investment of Sounders FC, RAVE Foundation, Delta Air Lines and sustainability partner EarthGen, the renovated space features both a garden greenspace and a mini pitch, providing both a beautiful and functional place for physical activity.

The mini pitch itself has been constructed with the environment in mind, as its water runoff during the rainy season directly feeds the new garden, benefiting the plants and reducing possible pollutants in runoff before they reach storm drains. Artist Matt Milligan also contributed a special mural to the space, which depicts native Northwest plants and the Puget Sound, while also referencing soccer and Sounders FC through a whimsical rendering.

In addition to presenting partner Delta Air Lines, the Seahurst renovation is supported by community partners Highline Public Schools and the City of Burien. RAVE Foundation partner Weyerhaueser also provided partial funding for the mini pitch.

With Washington State set to fully reopen on June 30, this event is scheduled to be open to the local community.

WHAT: Seahurst Elementary Mini Pitch Grand Opening

WHO: Brad Evans, Former Sounder and Current Club Brand Ambassador

Dr. Susan Enfield, Highline Public Schools Superintendent

Tony Gonchar, Vice President, Delta Air Lines

Terry Holtgroves, Seahurst Elementary Principal

Meredith Lohr, EarthGen Executive Director

Jose Vasquez, RAVE Foundation Trustee

Ara Erickson, Weyerhaeuser Vice President of Corporate Sustainability

Seahurst Elementary Students

WHEN: Thursday, July 1 (5:00 - 6:30 p.m. PT)

WHERE: Seahurst Elementary (14603 14th Ave. SW, Burien, WA 98166)

HEALTH & SAFETY: With Washington State set to fully reopen on June 30, this event is scheduled to be open to the local community. Sounders FC, RAVE Foundation and Highline Public Schools will adhere to the most current public health guidelines, including mask wearing and distancing when appropriate.

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Major League Soccer Stories from June 29, 2021


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