MLS Real Salt Lake

Real Salt Lake "Championship Cup Tour" Week #2 Itinerary

Published on February 9, 2010 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Real Salt Lake News Release


SANDY, Utah (Tuesday, February 9, 2010) - Real Salt Lake's "Championship Cup Tour" of Utah will take a turn for its long journey north in Week Two, when the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy and its crew of handlers will make stops in 11 cities in five days through this Friday. Real Salt Lake and its tour partners - KUTV 2 (CBS), KALL 700 Sports, Strong Volkswagen, Siegfried & Jensen and the state's KFC Restaurants - continue to tour the prize of its MLS Cup 2009 crown throughout all 29 of the state's counties, a journey that will log nearly 1,500 miles and hit 18 counties in its first 12 days.

During February's "Championship Cup Tour," members of the Real Salt Lake organization are ushering North American soccer's top prize in a tour-theme-wrapped Volkswagen Routan across the Beehive State, a journey fans worldwide will be able to follow on www.RealSaltLake.com; the team's Behind the Shield blog, located at www.RSLtotheCore.com; RSL's Facebook fan page at www.Facebook.com/RealSaltLake; RSL's Flickr photo gallery, which already includes hundreds of images, at www.Flickr.com/RealSaltLake; daily KUTV 2 News weather updates; clicking the Cup icon on the Sports page at www.Connect2Utah.com; and over the radio airwaves via KALL 700 Sports' SportsCenter updates at the top of each hour.

While on the tour, Real Salt Lake's representatives will be visiting with youth soccer clubs and speaking at dozens of school assemblies to give the team's youngest fans the chance to see what can be achieved by setting goals and putting in the hard work necessary to achieve them - themes that have been embodied in Kreis' "Fortune Favors the Bold" and "The Team is the Star" mantras since he stepped from the field to the sideline in 2007. Fans at stops along the route will be able to take photos with the MLS Cup trophy and mascot Leo the Lion, bring home giveaway items, and have the chance to win RSL merchandise and 2009 MLS Cup Championship memorabilia. KUTV 2 will also host an "Enter 2 Win" opportunity at each tour stop, with the Grand Prize of a 32" flat-screen television awarded on-air live by an RSL player or coach when the tour wraps up on the February 28 edition of Talkin' Sports.

WEEK TWO:

Monday, Feb. 8: Cedar City and Parowan (Iron County)

Tuesday, Feb. 9: Panguitch (Garfield County) and Junction (Piute County)

Wednesday, Feb. 10: Loa (Wayne County) and Richfield (Sevier County)

Thursday, Feb. 11: Beaver (Beaver County) and Fillmore (Millard County)

Friday, Feb. 12: Nephi (Juab County), Manti and Ephraim (Sanpete County)

Saturday, Feb. 13: Off day

Sunday, Feb. 14: Off day (Valentine's Day)

Monday, Feb. 15: Off day (President's Day)

Monday, Feb. 8 - Cedar City (Iron County): To kick off Week Two of the "Championship Cup Tour," the VW Routan will point its way to Iron County for a stop in Cedar City. The festivities will begin at 9:14 a.m., when the MLS Cup heads to an assembly at Canyon View High School (166 West 1925 North). The Cup and crew will then stop to visit the younger generation at Fiddlers Canyon Elementary School from 10:15 - 10:45 a.m. (475 E 1935 N). The gang will then make a stop at Enoch Elementary School (4701 N. Wagon Wheel Dr) for another school-based get-together from 11:00-11:30 a.m., and Southern Utah University's Sharwan Smith Center (351 W. University Blvd.) will host the trophy from 12:15-1:00 p.m.. After some stops up north in Parowan, the Cup will come back down to Cedar City where participants in the AYSO Region 873 youth soccer program will get some Cup time to themselves at 7:00 p.m. at Cedar City High School (703 West 600 South).

Distance from St. George to Cedar City: 52 miles (53 minutes)

Trip Odometer: 991 miles (20h 00m)

Population: 20,527

Elevation: 5,846 ft.

"Fun Fact" about Cedar City: It is known as "Festival City USA" and hosts at least 14 festivals a year. The most notable of those is the Shakespearean Festival that takes place at Southern Utah University, during which talented actors come from all over the United States to participate. The festival, split up into Summer and Fall seasons from June through October, is becoming known world-wide, winning the 2000 Tony Award for America's Outstanding Regional Theatre and welcoming nearly 150,000 theater lovers annually to Southern Utah.

Monday, Feb. 8 - Parowan (Iron County): The MLS Cup will move north up I-15 Monday afternoon, but will stay within the confines of Iron County when it heads to Parowan, where it will take part in assemblies at Parowan Elementary School (128 West 100 North) from 1:45-2:30 p.m. and Parowan High School (50 West 100 North) from 3:15-4:15 p.m.. The morning of February 9th, the MLS Cup and Leo will ride an Arctic Cat groomer down the mountain to take part in an event at Brian Head Ski Resort (329 S State Highway 143) with Mayor Dutch Deutschlander from 8:30 - 9:15 a.m., before departing for Garfield County.

Distance from Cedar City to Parowan: 20 miles (23 minutes)

Trip Odometer: 1011 miles (20h 23m)

Population: 2,565

Elevation: 6,017 ft.

"Fun Fact" about Parowan: With the Winter Olympics starting up this weekend in Vancouver, it's timely to note that Parowan is the birthplace of Utah's first-ever Olympic gold medalist, Alma Richards, who won the top prize in the men's High Jump competition at the 1912 Summer Games in Stockholm, Sweden. Parawon High School's track & football stadium was named in honor of and houses a memorial to the Olympian, whose last request was to be buried in his hometown.

Tuesday, Feb. 9 - Panguitch (Garfield County): After the morning event at Brian Head, the entourage heads up and around the northern edge of the Dixie National Forest and on down to Panguitch, where the MLS Cup will be presented to the up-and-coming generation of Garfield County during an assembly at Panguitch High School (390 East 100 South) from 10:00-11:00 a.m.

Distance from Parowan to Panguitch: 48 miles (1h 02m)

Trip Odometer: 1059 miles (21h 25m)

Population: 1,623

Elevation: 6,624 ft.

"Fun Fact" about Garfield County: No less than seven National protected areas stretch into Garfield County, including three National Parks (Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef) and two National Forests (Dixie and Fishlake) in addition to the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

Tuesday, Feb. 9 - Junction (Piute County): After a short drive from Panguitch, Tuesday's adventure continues as the Cup and crew head to the city of Junction in Piute County for a two-assembly extravaganza. The fun in Junction will start from 12:15-12:45 p.m., when the trophy will play host during the first assembly at Circleville Elementary School (300 S Center). Then the Cup heads to Oscarson Elementary School in Marysvale (160 West Sevier Avenue) for yet another congregation of kids from 1:30-2:00 p.m.

Distance from Panguitch to Junction: 33 miles (34m)

Trip Odometer: 1092 miles (31h 59m)

Population: 1,404

Elevation: 5,951 ft.

"Fun Fact" about Piute County: Piute County was on of the biggest mining locations in the western United States from the 1860s through the early 1900s, and between 1868 and 1959 Piute County produced approximately 240,000 ounces of gold. Piute County is also the birth place of one Robert LeRoy Parker, more commonly known as Butch Cassidy of "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid."

Wednesday, Feb. 10 - Loa (Wayne County): On Day 10 of the "Championship Cup Tour," the gang will head northeast to the city named after the second highest mountain in Hawaii, Loa of Wayne County. While in Loa, the first stop will take place at Wayne Middle School (265 North 400 West, Bicknell, UT) for an assembly from 9:50-10:30 a.m. The next stop takes the Cup to visit the youngest RSL fans in Loa at Wayne Elementary School (34 South 100 East) from 11:00-11:40 p.m.

Distance from Junction to Loa: 65 miles (1h 8m)

Trip Odometer: 1157 miles (33h 7m)

Population: 2,589

Elevation: 7,064 ft.

"Fun Fact" about Wayne County: On August 2, 1937, 37,711 acres of the Capitol Reef was set aside by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, making this large chunk of land in Wayne County a National Monument. Capitol Reef National Park has the largest historic orchards in the National Park system, with approximately 2,600 fruit and nut trees.

Wednesday, Feb. 10 - Richfield (Sevier County): After a quick jump onto U.S. Highway 24, the MLS Cup and its crew will have a finger lickin' good time at the Richfield KFC (950 West 1250 South) in Sevier County from 1:15-2:00 p.m. After its fill of satisfying meals, the Cup and crew will then host an assembly and social at Richfield High School from 3:00-4:30 p.m. before continuing the journey throughout the Beehive State.

Distance from Loa to Richfield: 46 miles (49m)

Trip Odometer: 1203 miles (33h 56m)

Population: 20,014

Elevation: 5,354 ft.

"Fun Fact" about Richfield: Richfield, the county seat of Sevier County

Sevier County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2000 the population was 18,842, and by 2005 was estimated at 19,386. It was named for the nearby Sevier River. Its county seat and largest city is Richfield.-Geography:... , is the largest city in southern-central Utah with a population of 6,847 according to the 2000 census. The county can be best described as "rural diversified" due to the convergence of agricultural, retail and industrial activities.Utah is a western state of the United States. It was the 45th state admitted to the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80 percent of Utah's 2,736,424 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering around Salt Lake City. In contrast, vast expanses of the state are nearly uninhabited, making...

Thursday Feb. 11 - Beaver (Beaver County): After a good night's rest, the MLS Cup will head southwest for an early start to see the residents of Beaver, starting the day by visiting Belknap Elementary School (30 South 300 West) for an assembly from 9:30-10:15 a.m. The next and final stop in Beaver County will be at Beaver High School (195 East Center Street) from 10:30-11:15 a.m., where the students will once again assemble to see the coveted MLS Cup Trophy.

Distance from Richfield to Beaver: 62 miles (1h)

Trip Odometer: 1265 miles (34h 56m)

Population: 6,162

Elevation: 5,842 ft.

"Fun Fact" about Beaver: Beaver is the birthplace of one Philo T. Farnsworth, an American inventor who is best known for inventing the first operational television system. Beaver was also the first town in Utah to be electrified. A hydroelectric generation plant was constructed on the Beaver River early in the 20th century. The plant continues to provide a large part of Beaver's power requirements today.

Thursday Feb. 11 - Fillmore (Millard County): The day continues that afternoon in Millard County and Fillmore, where the Fillmore Fire Department will pick up Leo the Lion and the MLS Cup trophy to give them a ride around town, ultimately ending up at Fillmore Elementary School (555 North 400 West) for an assembly from 1:30-2:00 p.m., with a visit to Fillmore Middle School (435 South 500 West) for a student body gathering from 2:10-2:30 p.m. to follow. Next, the Cup and its travel party will get all dressed up for a light meal and meet and greet at the Utah Territorial Statehouse (50 West Capitol Avenue) from 3:00-4:30 p.m. The Cup and crew will then attend a private reception from 4:30-5:30 p.m. at The POD for AYSO players and families before the building opens up for an open reception for the whole community from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Distance from Beaver to Fillmore: 56 miles (52m)

Trip Odometer: 1321 miles (35h 48m)

Population: 12,082

Elevation: 5,135 ft.

"Fun Fact" about Fillmore: Fillmore was the first capital of the great State of Utah, and the original Territorial Statehouse building still stands today. The state's oldest existing governmental building is maintained by the State of Utah as a historic site and museum.

Friday Feb. 12 - Nephi (Juab County): The trip to Nephi will start in the early morning and includes visits to three local schools to show off the MLS Cup, beginning with an assembly at Juab Jr. High from 9:00-9:30 a.m. The school-hopping next takes the group to Nebo View Elementary from 9:45-10:15 a.m. and concludes at Red Cliff Elementary from 10:30-11:00 a.m.

Distance from Fillmore to Nephi: 60 miles (59m)

Trip Odometer: 1381 miles (36h 47m)

Population: 5,408

Elevation: 5,128 ft.

"Fun Fact" about Nephi: Nephi was actually first named Salt Creek by the early Mormon settlers. It was not until 1889 that Nephi was incorporated and on January 16, 1882, an act by the Governor and the legislature of the territory was approved, making Nephi the county seat of Juab County. In more modern times, Brandon Flowers, lead singer of the band "The Killers," moved from Henderson, Nev. to Nephi when he was eight and lived there until his junior year at Juab High School.

Friday Feb. 12 - Manti (Sanpete County): The MLS Cup and its entourage will arrive in Manti by 2:00 p.m. for a public celebration to be held at the Manti City Library (2 South Main Street) that will run from 2:00-3:00 p.m. This stop will surely attract many residents from the surrounding areas of Gunnison, Sterling, and Mayfield, as this will be the one and only stop in Manti before heading down Highway 89 to neighboring Ephraim.

Distance from Nephi to Manti: 42 miles (1h 7m)

Trip Odometer: 1423 miles (37h 54m)

Population: 3,312

Elevation: 5,530 ft.

"Fun Fact" about Manti: Manti hosts a yearly pageant called the "Mormon Miracle Pageant" which has been produced every summer since 1967. The production continued to grow in attendance until the late 80's, with numbers reaching in the range of 134,000 people. Attendance has been declining in recent years but is still in the impressive area of 85,000.

Friday Feb. 12 - Ephraim (Sanpete County): The third and final town on Fri day - and the final stop of the week - will be Ephraim, home to our friends at Snow College. The Badgers will be the primary focus of the MLS Cup's stop in this college town, as it will be housed at Snow College's Badger Stadium (150 College Avenue East) for a total of 3 1/2 hours from 5:00 - 8:30 p.m. for "game night" in Ephraim. The men's basketball team will be taking on the North Idaho Cardinals, with tip-off at Badger Stadium set for 7:30 p.m. At halftime, the MLS Cup will be walked out to mid-court for a special recognition ceremony and will remain in the friendly confines of Badger Stadium until 9:00 p.m. After nearly 1,500 miles in a dozen days, the Cup and its handlers will get a much-deserved three-day break for the holiday weekend that encompasses both Valentine's Day and President's Day.

Distance from Manti to Ephraim: 7 miles (11 min)

Trip Odometer: 1430 miles (38h 05m)

Population: 5,284

Elevation: 5,541 ft.

"Fun Fact" about Ephraim: Ephraim is very close in proximity to Manti, Gunnison, and Mt. Pleasant. However, Ephraim continues to boast the largest population and the most "Urban" atmosphere of the four rival towns. Ephraim is home to Snow College with a student population of 3,745. Ephraim is also home to the Scandinavian Heritage Festival.

Saturday, Feb. 13 - Off Day

Sunday, Feb. 14 - Off Day

Monday, Feb. 15 (President's Day) - Off Day

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