Seattle’s hosting of the 2019 MLS Cup impacted more than just the players on the pitch and the supporters in the stadium.
In honor of the 2019 MLS Cup, Seattle Sounders FC, RAVE Foundation and MLS WORKS, Major League Soccer’s social responsibility platform, conducted a pep rally at Valley View Early Learning Center in Highline Public Schools the week before 2019 MLS Cup. In celebration of the championship match, Sounders FC officially unveiled a full gym makeover for the first time to children and families from the local community. The event included Seattle Sounders players and Sammy the Sounder participating in interactive soccer challenges with attendees.
Valley View Early Learning Center is a unique education facility that exclusively offers preschool programs to over 300 students between the ages of 3 and 5 years old, serves families with the greatest need with the Washington State funded Early Childhood Education Assistance Program, and provides on-site family support workers and interpreter services. Valley View has 18 different languages represented among its 300 students and families, and hosts classes that support children with developmental delays, autism and children who are deaf and hard of hearing. Valley View is located in SeaTac, Washington, an under-resourced community and a target area for RAVE Foundation investments.
Gym makeover elements included:
- New paint in Sounders colors and graphic design features on walls of gym, representing RAVE Foundation’s new Physical Literacy Program that aims to help young children develop physical skills while at the same time fostering cognitive development. The design features were translated in the main four languages spoken by families at Valley View Early Learning Center (English, Spanish, Somali and Vietnamese)
- Two new turf carpet soccer fields
- Portable soccer goals
- New gym sound system
- New gymnastic mats
- Sounders-branded seat cushions for every child (replacing carpet squares used for sitting during assemblies)
- New play and climbing equipment
All 300 kids at Valley View Early Learning Center received a brand new, high quality soccer ball of their own to take home.
