Columbus Crew SC Sporting Director and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter, Crew SC players Artur and Ricardo Clark, as well as representatives from Acura are set to finalize the construction of a new community garden at the Windsor STEM Elementary Academy in partnership with Columbus City Schools and Central Ohio nonprofit Local Matters. The projects will be a part of MLS WORKS' third annual Greener Goals Week of Service from April 16-20.
Additionally, on Thursday, MAPFRE Insurance volunteers will continue work on the community garden at Linden Park Neighborhood Early Childhood Education Center, a project which began last year. Both projects are part of the third annual MLS WORKS Greener Goals Week of Service.
The project at Windsor STEM Elementary Academy includes the building of new garden beds and the planting of trees and bushes, while the additions to the Linden Park community garden includes the building of a natural playscape. Both of the projects are being overseen in part by Crew SC’s Give Forward program, which is sponsored by MAPFRE Insurance.
As a finale to Greener Goals Week, the Black & Gold will sport a special-edition jersey this weekend, returning to MAPFRE Stadium on Saturday, April 21 to host New England Revolution with a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff. These match-worn jerseys will be auctioned off after the match on Saturday.
MLS has collaborated with adidas to support Parley for the Oceans. During Week 8 matches, MLS players will wear special adidas kits, built of technical yarns made using Parley Ocean Plastic™. This collaboration was first introduced in 2017 when four MLS clubs – New York City FC, Orlando City SC, LA Galaxy and Seattle Sounders FC – donned the MLS x Parley kits on Earth Day.
The 2018 edition of the jerseys will be supported by all 23 clubs and comes in two colorways, non-dye and carbon, differentiating the two teams in each game. The jerseys will be available for fans to purchase at MLSstore.com, adidas.com and in select in-stadium retailers beginning April 10.
In addition, MLS WORKS will share #GreenerGoals tips to educate the soccer community on ways to create a cleaner environment, including the reduction of plastic pollution. Beginning April 16, fans will be encouraged to apply these tips and share images and videos of their actions through social media with the grand prize winner will receive an MLS x Parley jersey of their choice. League-wide efforts will be conducted on and off the field to highlight Major League Soccer’s commitment to environmental sustainability, with MLS club and staff members volunteering their time with local charitable organizations and other green initiatives being promoted throughout the week across MLS social and digital channels.
