Major league soccer stars including Brian Mcbride, Dwayne De Rosario and Edson Buddle help to improve America’s communities

Starting today, all 16 clubs across Major League Soccer are asking fans to join them in making a difference in America’s communities. As part of the Pepsi Refresh Project, each Club has outlined an idea – from partnering with the local Chicago school district to help students be healthy to renovating soccer fields in low-income areas to partnering with KidSport Ontario to help underprivileged kids join organized soccer leagues – that will vie for fan votes and an ultimate $50,000 Pepsi Refresh grant to fulfill the project. Launching today through Monday, September 20 at 11:59 p.m. EDT, fans can cast their votes at www.MLSsoccer.com/PepsiRefresh for the ideas they believe should receive a grant from the Pepsi Refresh Project.

· Chicago Fire/Brian McBride – Provide Chicago Public School students with tools they need to be healthy, happy and productive students throughout the school year.
· Chivas USA/Mariano Trujillo – Provide professional soccer clinics to kids in the greater Los Angeles area.
· Colorado Rapids/Pablo Mastroeni – Provide healthy food for children (350 families each week in Denver metro area) to take home to their families every Friday for one calendar year through the Totes of Hope Program.
· Columbus Crew/Steven Lenhart – Help children with autism and other disabilities get therapy they need with Easter Seals.
· D.C. United/Devon McTavish – Introduce activity, soccer and healthy living through the United Soccer Club, an after-school program within the Washington, DC metropolitan area.
· FC Dallas/Daniel Hernandez – Educate children with paralysis on ways they can lead more active lives through adaptive sports.
· Houston Dynamo/Corey Ashe – Partner with Soccer for Success, an after school program that educates kids about healthy food and exercise throughout the Houston school district.
· Kansas City Wizards/Jimmy Conrad – Build youth soccer fields at Belvedere Park in urban Kansas City, MO, to provide a facility to keep kids engaged and out of trouble.
· LA Galaxy/Edson Buddle – Refresh communities by empowering, encouraging and educating children through the building of a soccer-themed playroom at a children’s hospital, conducting soccer camps focused on fitness and health and providing aid, equipment and soccer instruction in Haiti for kids affected by the earthquake through the Galaxy Foundation’s Haitian Initiative.
· New England Revolution/Chris Tierney – Instruct and certify youth soccer coaches throughout New England in CPR and AED machines using the American Heart Association’s training methods and take-away trainers.
· New York Red Bulls/Seth Stammler – Serve Haitian communities heavily affected by the earthquake and fund individuals who are recruited to help with Stammler’s Sporting Chance Foundation program.
· Philadelphia Union/Alejandro Moreno – Create a natural grass, full-sized and small-sided soccer pitch in the City of Chester as the home for the newly formed Chester City United soccer organization and all school district soccer activities.
· Real Salt Lake/Javier Morales – Health and Fitness elementary school assemblies and to join the efforts of MLS W.O.R.K.S.’ Active Bodies Active Minds program and First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” initiative, which is attempting to combat the epidemic of childhood obesity.
· San Jose Earthquakes/Arturo Alvarez – Provide an intramural sports program for low-income students from middle schools in the San Jose Unified School District whose sports programs are being threatened by state budget cuts.
· Seattle Sounders FC/James Riley – Help a local family renovate their home and purchase equipment to aide their son who recently lost his leg in a car accident.
· Toronto FC/Dwayne De Rosario – Help youth in financial need participate in organized soccer by partnering with KidSport Ontario to provide equipment, a training venue and coaching manuals.

“The Pepsi Refresh Project is proud to provide the stage to showcase these inspiring team ideas from across the league,” said Jeff Dubiel, Vice President of Pepsi Sports. “Through this initiative, fans will have the opportunity to recognize their favorite team for something other than their on-field performance. By showing their support, they will be helping to make a difference in their local community — everybody wins.”

The Pepsi Refresh Project is a groundbreaking effort to foster innovation in social good that will award more than $20 million this year to fund great ideas that help impact the world. Throughout 2010, Pepsi will fund ideas that will move the world forward in six categories: Health, Arts & Culture, Food & Shelter, The Planet, Neighborhoods and Education. The Pepsi Refresh Project, which launched Jan. 13, features significant social engagement around people and the power of ideas. People are encouraged to submit their ideas and to cast a vote for their favorite ideas at www.refresheverything.com.

“Creating positive change and giving back to their respective communities has been a longstanding priority for MLS fans,” said David Wright, Vice President, Major League Soccer and Soccer United Marketing. “We are grateful to Pepsi for allowing our clubs, players and fans the opportunity to make a difference in their local market. The collective effort of our passionate fans will drive positive results, while building on the success of the Pepsi Refresh Project.”