FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Kelyn Rowe may be the only member of the New England Revolution actively looking forward to Thursday morning’s six-hour, cross-country flight to the Pacific Northwest.

That’s because Rowe, who grew up in the Seattle suburb of Federal Way, Washington, is going home.

“Selfishly, I love going back there,” Rowe said ahead of the Revolution’s visit to CenturyLink Field and Seattle Sounders FC on Saturday night. “I know it’s a long trip for a lot of the guys, but for me, it’s a time to see family and friends.”

Rowe didn’t have an estimate on exactly how many family and friends will be attending this weekend’s game – his parents have handled ticket distribution – but he’s expecting “a good amount.” Coaches and players from Crossfire Premier Soccer Club – Rowe’s youth team – are also expected to catch the game.

“Seeing my old coaches, it’s a nice reunion,” Rowe said.

One of the most important visitors, however, will be Rowe’s infant nephew Brighton, who has become something of an Instagram star through Rowe’s account (kelynrowe).

“Uncle Kelyn’s going to get a lot of nephew time,” he said.

This will be the third time Rowe has played professionally in his hometown, but the three-time Revolution Humanitarian of the Year has something special planned this time around, as he’ll be hosting a young cancer patient at Saturday’s game through Kelyn’s NEGU (Never Ever Give Up) Crew.

Rowe brought the program to Portland earlier this month and he’s excited about continuing to expand the initiative that began in 2015, while providing another memorable experience for a special young fan

“It’s going to be great,” Rowe said. “I’m excited for the fans in Seattle.

“You hear about all these great fans in Seattle and Portland. For NEGU Crews lately, it’s been the Revolution. But I’m excited to have those fans come together and see what happens out here on the East Coast, and how great we actually are.”