October 15, 2021 – Major League Soccer (MLS) – Columbus Crew SC News Release
COLUMBUS – Columbus Crew today announced several initiatives for this weekend’s contest at Lower.com Field against Inter Miami CF on Saturday, October 16 [6:00 p.m. ET / Bally Sports Great Lakes, Bally Sports App (Stream) / 1460 ESPN (English); ColumbusCrew.com (Spanish)]. The match will serve as a celebration of On Our Sleeves Night in partnership with Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Tickets for the match are available at www.columbuscrew.com/tickets.
On Our Sleeves will be represented on the pitch, with a select number of Crew players donning custom-designed cleats. The Crew’s jerseys will feature specially designed numbers while the captain’s armband for the evening will also sport special On Our Sleeves design elements. Following the match, the customize cleats and jerseys will be auctioned with proceeds benefitting Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
Throughout the month of October at all Lower.com Field concession stands, Crew fans will have the option to donate $1 per purchase to On Our Sleeves.
Earlier this month, the Crew and Nationwide Children’s Hospital announced details for the Wrap Them In Support fundraising campaign, supporting the hospital’s On Our Sleeves movement for children’s mental health. Through fundraising opportunities beginning with Saturday’s match through May 2022, Crew fans, community members and businesses alike will be able to participate in the Wrap Them In Support Campaign by purchasing a specially designed Wrap Them In Support fan scarf. All proceeds from scarf sales and other fundraising activities will benefit the work of On Our Sleeves. The campaign has also set another ambitious challenge for Crew fans.
The goal of the campaign is to sell enough scarves so that by Children’s Mental Health Day on May 7, 2022, fans will come together on the pitch at Lower.com Field to set the official GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for the longest chain of sports fan scarfs. The scarves will be sewn together to make, with nearly 700 scarves needed at minimum, a record-breaking, one-thousand-meter scarf. For more information and to purchase scarves, visit onoursleeves.org/crew. A limited number of scarves will be available for purchase at the Crew Shop.
ARRIVAL AND PRE-MATCH INFORMATION
Pre-match events for Saturday are set to include a performance on the Plaza by theJACK, one of Central Ohio’s longest running rock-n-roll party bands. The Ceremonial Goal Kick will be taken by Nationwide Children’s Hospital Patient Champion, Andy Velazquez. Hillary McGowan, Legal Assistant at Nationwide Children’s Hospital has been selected by the Club as a Hard Hat Hero, while Emily Kegg, Merchandise & Membership Director for Nordecke and a Crew season ticket member since 2014 will serve as the Nordecke representative. The national anthem will be sung by Ohio State University student Adam Pollock. Sergeant Joanne Plescia of the United States Army will serve as the Hometown Hero while Honor Guard will be representatives from Wright Patterson Air Force Base.
The Crew will distribute 10,000 thundersticks to fans at Lower.com Field on Saturday. Additionally, Nordecke will distribute 3,000 cape flags in the Beer Garden.
As Saturday is an exciting evening in the Arena District and Astor Park with a number of events, supporters planning to attend are encouraged by the Club to pre-purchase parking via arenadistrictparking.com and arrive as early as possible.
Supporters can guarantee parking spots in one of over a dozen garages and lots throughout the Arena district by pre-purchasing passes. Additional matchday parking now includes the new Kilbourne Garage at Neil & I-670. There are more than 18,000 parking spaces in garages and lots throughout the Arena District all within walking distance, including 6,300 parking spaces within a 10-minute walk. Supporters planning on parking at the Front Street and Chestnut Garages and marching to the match are advised that they can arrive faster by taking the South 3rd Street Exit off I-670.
Additionally, with anticipated road closures around Long and Spring Streets in advance of Sunday’s Columbus Marathon, Crew fans are encouraged to enter downtown via Neil or 3rd Avenues to avoid closures.
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