United Soccer Club - United for D.C.’s after-school program teaches soccer to underprivileged kids in the D.C. area (Image credit: D.C. United)
John Harkes led D.C. United to the first-ever MLS Cup win in 1996 (Image credit: D.C. United)
Kicks for Kids provided the D.C. United gameday experience - free of charge for more than 10,000 kids in 2008 (Image Credit: DC United)
Away from the field, United’s charitable aspirations are also evident. Since inception, the club has been actively involved with programming to assist those in need. Those efforts were taken to a whole new level when D.C. United’s charitable arm, United for D.C., was founded in 2002. Programming highlights of the charity include United Reads, an active initiative in six elementary schools within the Washington D.C. area that has distributed over 12,000 new books this year alone, Kicks for Kids, a program that has provided more than 10,000 underprivileged children the opportunity to watch the Black-and-Red play this season, and United Soccer Club, an after-school initiative at seven inner-city locations teaching soccer to more than 110 underserved students. The foundation is supported by United’s community relations department, which also oversees a collection program benefiting area nonprofit organizations in need, a volunteer initiative, additional community partnerships and the placement of more than 350 player appearances each calendar year. With so many successes both on and off of the playing field, it is obvious that D.C. United has firmly established a tradition of excellence.
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Best of DC
Ryan Nelsen helped D.C. United lift its fourth MLS Cup Trophy (Image credit: Tony Quinn / D.C. United)
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