FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Revolution and New England Revolution Charitable Foundation will once again host their annual Charitable Drive Series this season at Gillette Stadium. In 2015, the Revolution will host four dates as part of the Drive Series, beginning with Saturday night’s game against D.C. United, during which they will collect books, non-perishable food items, school supplies and soccer equipment.
The complete schedule for the 2015 Revolution Drive Series is:
- Saturday, May 23 vs. D.C. United – Soccer equipment in partnership with the U.S. Soccer Passback Program
- Saturday, June 27 vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC – Books to benefit More Than Words
- Saturday, Aug. 1 vs. Toronto FC – School supplies to benefit Cradles to Crayons
- Saturday, Sept. 5 vs. Orlando City SC – Non-perishable food items for the Greater Boston Food Bank
Fans who donate products at the games listed above, all of which start at 7:30 p.m., will receive a special autographed card that features Lee Nguyen (May 23), Kelyn Rowe (June 27), Jermaine Jones (Aug. 1) or Andrew Farrell (Sept. 5). While each individual thank you card can stand alone, fans that collect all four cards can combine them to create a Revolution Charitable Foundation poster.
Donations will be accepted at all gates at Gillette Stadium beginning 90 minutes before kickoff and ending 15 minutes after the game begins.
The Drive Series kicks off this weekend when the Revolution host D.C. United. The club will be collecting new and gently used soccer equipment in partnership with the U.S. Soccer Passback Program, which has collected and redistributed over 900,000 pieces of soccer equipment to children in underserved communities since 2002. Thanks to dedicated individuals, soccer clubs, and organizations that collect and donate soccer equipment, the Passback program is able to bring the game of soccer to children who love the sport, but don’t have the resources to play.
Just over a month later, on June 27, the Revs will be collecting books for More Than Words ahead of the club’s home game against Vancouver Whitecaps FC. More Than Words empowers youth who are in foster care, court-involved, homeless or out of school to take charge of their lives by taking charge of a business. Donated books are used in the More Than Words retail and online used book business, café, and community space, helping develop the employment skills, leadership, and self-confidence at-risk youth need to successfully transition to adulthood.
On Aug. 1, the Drive Series returns when the Revs host Toronto FC for the second time this season. The club will be collecting school supplies at that game to benefit Cradles to Crayons, which provides children ages 12 and younger some of the most important basics of life – including clothing, school supplies, toys and more – free of charge. By supplying them with high-quality used or new physical goods that children need to be safe, protected from the elements, and ready to learn, Cradles to Crayons helps make children feel valued.
The fourth and final collection for the Drive Series will come on Sept. 5 when the Revs host Orlando City SC. Non-perishable food items will be collected on that day on behalf of the Greater Boston Food Bank, which is the largest hunger-relief organization in New England and among the largest food banks in the country. Collecting food through food drives and other means, the Greater Boston Food Bank distributed 48 million pounds of food last year, enough to provide healthy meals to as many as 545,000 people in the Greater Boston area.
