PORTLAND
, Ore.
– In support of relief efforts in Haiti following the recent earthquake, the Portland Timbers and University of Portland men’s soccer have joined together to host a special charity match on Wednesday, Feb. 17, at 7 p.m. at Merlo Field. All proceeds from the match benefit Mercy Corps to aid in efforts to assist Haitians affected by the earthquake.
Tickets for the charity event are $7 for both adults and kids; seating for the match is general admission. Tickets will be available starting Tuesday at 11 a.m. through area Ticketmaster locations, online at www.ticketmaster.com or calling (800) 745-3000.
In the charity match, the Timbers will field a team of guest players and trialists against returning members of the UP Pilots squad that reached the third round of the 2009 NCAA tournament.
“Through this event, we hope to continue to generate support and awareness for the situation in Haiti,” said
Gavin Wilkinson
, Timbers head coach and general manager. “The Portland-area soccer community is a very compassionate community, and we are delighted to be able to help organizations aiding the Haiti relief efforts.”
Additionally, the Portland Beavers & Portland Timbers Community Fund will be conducting a silent auction of autographed Timbers jerseys as well as other sports memorabilia during the match. Proceeds from the auction items will also benefit Mercy Corps.
The charity match is part of a four-day preseason mini-camp from Feb. 15-18 for available Timbers players and invited trialists looking to make the team’s 2010 roster. The mini-camp kicks off preparations for the upcoming 2010 campaign; full preseason camp is slated to begin in early March.
Among its many efforts in Haiti, Mercy Corps has launched a cash-for-work program to help earthquake survivors earn a daily wage for clean-up tasks, distributed shelter materials to displaced families and organized food distributions in outlying and underserved areas that were hard-hit by the earthquake. Mercy Corps has a long track record of helping communities transition from receiving aid to carrying out their own recovery after natural disasters.
About Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps helps people in the world’s toughest places turn the crises of natural disaster, poverty and conflict into opportunities for progress. Driven by local needs and market conditions, its programs provide communities with the tools and support they need to transform their lives. Its worldwide team of 3,700 professionals is improving the lives of 16.7 million people in more than 40 countries. For more information, see
www.mercycorps.org
.
