The Portland Timbers will play host to Monarcas Morelia of the Mexican League first division on Wednesday, July 3rd at 8 p.m. at JELD-WEN Field in the inaugural Copa Verde.
Morelia is currently in the middle of the Liga MX offseason, having reached the quarterfinals in the latest season. Although this is the first Copa Verde, this is not Morelia’s first trip to Portland. In fact, when the two teams take the field, it will be five years to the day of Morelia’s last trip to Portland.
TICKETS: Timbers host Monarcas Morelia in the Copa Verde
However, unlike the meeting on July 3rd, 2008, this match will have a slightly different meaning. While both teams will be competing to capture the inaugural Copa Verde, the real winner is Portland’s Hispanic community.
WATCH: See how the Copa Verde trophy was made
Copa Verde builds on the Timbers’ Somos Timbers initiative, the club’s Hispanic outreach program focused on youth development, education and health. A portion of the proceeds from Copa Verde benefits the Mexican Consulate of Portland’s IME Becas scholarship program.
Oscar Chavarri Cazaurang is the coordinator of the IME Becas program at the Mexican Consulate of Portland. He says the IME Becas scholarship program was created in 2005 by the Mexican government to support the development and personal wellbeing of Mexican students living in the United States.
“The program’s ultimate goal is to help consolidate a more educated and better trained work-force,” says Chavarri, “and contribute and integrate in their communities by supporting underserved students to continue or begin their academic formation.”
By offering a window of opportunity for parents and adults to finish their education, the program inspires students whose financial situation prevents them from pursuing college degrees. Additionally, it encourages a culture of educational pursuits in the Hispanic community by helping parents set positive educational examples for their children.
Locally, the Consulate program contributed $55,000 in 2012 to local organizations like PSU, Centro Cultural, Programa Hispano, Plaza Poder with Newberg Public Schools.
