Rob Castaneda, executive director of Beyond the Ball and a trailblazer in the Sport for Development sector, has been named the Chicago Fire Community MVP and a finalist for the MLS WORKS Community MVP contest. Fans are encouraged to cast their votes for Castaneda as contest's the Grand Prize winner, which will receive a $10,000 donation for their selected charity. The winner will be announced at halftime of the 2015 MLS All-Star Game in Denver.
Castaneda, a former high school soccer player, resides in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago, which has the youngest per capita population in all of the city but has the least amount of green space for children to play. In addition, the neighborhood is combatting social issues like gang violence, poverty and low achievement rates. In 2013, Rob was instrumental in lobbying both local and national organizations for a new artificial turf soccer field to replace the dangerous dirt field that often was the cause of injuries. A year after the new field was built, Rob’s organization, Beyond the Ball, partnered with other local organizations, including the Chicago Fire Soccer Club, to launch Premier Skills, the British Council and Premier League’s global soccer for good program.
In its pilot year and with Rob’s tireless efforts, Premier Skills has reached over 400 young people, providing free after-school soccer programming three nights a week, year-round. Premier Skills sessions are run by community coaches from Little Village alongside Chicago Fire community coaches. Rob also supported the delivery of Premier Skills Community Coach training, helping to recruit 40 grassroots coaches and youth workers from across Chicago, who were trained to plan and deliver safe and inclusive community soccer sessions and coach in challenging urban environments.
Every year, MLS fans nominate outstanding individuals that promote goodwill, demonstrate leadership, and help to improve the lives of those living in their community. Of those candidates, 20 nominees are selected, one from each of the 20 clubs, as finalists to represent their MLS team. The Grand Prize winner is determined by an online fan vote and will be announced on Wednesday, July 29 during halftime of the 2015 AT&T MLS All-Star Game and on twitter by @MLSWORKS.
In addition to earning the chance to win the Grand Prize of $10,000 for their selected charity, Wells Fargo has pledged a $1,000 donation to each selected charity of the other 19 finalists.
Each nominee selected uses soccer as a tool to help make a positive impact in one or more of the following areas:
- Social issues focusing on acceptance, equality, inclusion and diversity
- Health issues affecting men, women or children
- Community service for a local, national or international charity or community organization Click here for a complete list of the nominees. Fans are encouraged to vote on the MLS WORKS site (www.MLSsoccer.com/CommunityMVP). Fans may also vote by tweeting: “I voted for the @MLSWORKS @WellsFargo #CommunityMVP Contest Grand Prize Winner. Vote Now http://ow.ly/PiC8l @ChicagoFire ” from 12 p.m. ET on July 27 through 12 p.m. ET on July 28.
“MLS WORKS is committed to giving back to the communities that support our clubs,” said JoAnn Neale, MLS Chief Administrative Officer. “These nominees are using the world’s game to make a difference on a local level and we are proud to share their inspiring stories as well as recognize their incredible accomplishments.”
“The 20 local finalists of this year’s MLS WORKS Community MVP Award each uniquely demonstrate the importance of volunteering and providing needed resources as a way to improve their local communities,” said Jamie Moldafsky, Wells Fargo Chief Marketing Officer. “Wells Fargo applauds their dedication to make a difference in the lives of so many, recognizing that little by little we can have a huge impact on the world around us.”
About MLS WORKS
MLS WORKS is Major League Soccer’s community outreach initiative dedicated to addressing important social issues and serves as a platform for both League and club philanthropic programs. MLS WORKS seeks to establish Major League Soccer as a leader for improving the lives of people through sport. Follow us on twitter @MLSWORKS.
