Stand Together
Continuing the new tradition of the presentation of roses following Thorns games to the goal scorers and goalkeeper who achieved a shutout, Girls, Inc. has been sending participants from their great youth programs to meet players after the game and hand them the roses in front of the North End supporters. For an organization that looks to inspire girls to be strong, smart and bold, it's truly a special moment after the match.
Photo by Craig Mitchelldyer
May 16 vs. Sky Blue FC
Alysse:
What was your favorite part about today?
A: We got to watch the Thorns game and it was really fun to meet all the players and see so many people here to watch them.
Tell us an example of you being strong and smart?
A: I brought flyers for the arts and music for school and handed them out to different neighborhoods and it’s hard because you have to answer their questions.
Violet:
What was your favorite part about today?
V: The best part was Alex Morgan, giving us hugs and it made me really happy because she’s my favorite player on the team. I feel that being strong in sports is good for girls.
Tell us an example of you being strong and smart?
V: At my old school I was being bullied so I switched school and I felt a lot better after that.
Kaitlynn:
What was your favorite part about today?
The best thing about tonight was meeting Alex Morgan and all the other players and when the head coach gave me a scarf. I play forward and really like Nikki Washington and Alex Morgan.
Tell us an example of you being strong and smart?
It’s important to be a good sport and shake people’s hands after the game even when you lose.
Photo by Craig Mitchelldyer
May 19 vs. Washington Spirit
Marilyn Danley
What was your favorite part about today?
M: This was my first Thorns game. My favorite part of the day was the game because it was so exciting and we got to sit so close.
What was special about presenting the roses?
M: Since Alex and Christine scored I got to give them roses. It was really special presenting the roses because I got to meet the player who are really nice and it was fun. This will be a very special memory
What makes you strong, smart and bold?
M: I am strong, smart and bold because I really like sports. I love to play soccer.
What do you like most about playing soccer?
M: What I like most about soccer is that you get to use your head, in both ways. You also get to hang out with friends and it takes a lot of team work.
Isabella Ventura
What was your favorite part about today?
I: My favorite part about today was getting the chance to come out on the field and meet the players.
What was special about presenting the roses?
I: Karina didn’t let any goals in so I got to give her the flowers. It was so cool because I got to be close and see them.
What makes you strong, smart and bold?
I: I am strong, smart and bold because I get to be a voice for girls.
What do you like most about playing soccer?
I: My favorite part about playing soccer is that we get to play and the people cheer us on – just like we cheered on the Thorns today.
The Portland Timbers Don't Cross The Line.
After hearing about about Atticus and Green Machine's memorable Make-A-Wish 10-9 win over the Timbers, ESPN's legendary sportscaster and fellow cancer survivor Stuart Scott spoke on SportsCenter tonight about the game and announced it as the No. 1 ESPN Top 10 Play of the Day.
"That is my new hero: Atticus."
Watch it:
With the Timber’s first win stirring up Portland soccer fans last week, Kevin Carroll’s exhibit The Power of Sport + Play at Mercy Corps’ Action Center gallery could not have been better timed. The author of Rules of the Red Rubber Ball knows exactly how sports can empower a community just as they have electrified Portland.
Carroll’s exhibit features a mixture of sports media including books, paintings, "dream boxes," inspirational quotes, and balls from around the world. Hidden in gym lockers are mementos from Carroll's life, each with different themes such as his first childhood book Where the Wild Things Are as well as memorabilia from his time as the Philadelphia 76ers trainer. The exhibit ranges from Carroll’s own personal life as well as from inspirational athletes, philosophers, and international communities with a common denominator of sport and play.
Carroll kicked off the exhibit this past Tuesday night in a special lecture about on his own background as well as his philosophy that a ball can change the world. Sport and play bring people together by breaking down prejudices and creating a common ground. Carroll simplified the idea of sport being an amazing medium for communication because, as he put it, "We all speak ball."
Carroll’s exhibit The Art of Sport + Play is on view April 4 - July 31, 2013 during Mercy Corps Action Center hours 11am – 5 pm, Monday – Friday. For more information on Carroll and his inspirational story, visit his website. To learn more about the Portland Timbers pillar partner Mercy Corps, visit them here.
Portland takes great pride in being a “green” city, and the Timbers & JELD-WEN Field embrace their role with their own “green” campaign. In addition to their on-going efforts to be more eco-friendly, the Timbers are providing fans with another opportunity to contribute.
At the two home games in April (4/6 vs. Houston & 4/14 vs. San Jose), the Timbers are teaming up with E-cycle to collect and properly eco-dispose of used cell phones.
E-cycle is providing the Timbers with two collection containers that will be located at the Stand Together table in the main concourse and at the east side of the stadium. After the phones are collected, E-cycle wipes the phones completely clean of all information, so donors do not need to worry about their personal information being leaked. The batteries are then eco-disposed, the metals are melted down, and an environmental impact statement is generated for the club.
Once the value of the donated phones is determined, E-cycle will send the proceeds to the Stand Together campaign. Newer, higher quality phones such as iPhones and the Galaxy S have a higher E-cycle value. And to throw in an extra added incentive, the first 100 fans that bring in eligible phones will receive a pass to the adidas Employee Store.
The campaign begins Saturday, April 6, when the Timbers host the Houston Dynamo. So bring your old, unused cell phones, help the environment, help Stand Together and, if you get there early enough, get a pass to the adidas Employee Store. Win, win and win.
Brent Richards - Photo by David Blair
Even with their 2013 campaign under way, the Portland Timbers haven’t forgotten about the goals they scored in 2012.
The Timbers, along with Stand Together community pillar partner Friends of Trees, are gearing up to plant trees this Saturday as part of the club’s “Score a Goal, Plant a Tree” program, presented by JELD-WEN Windows & Doors.
From 9-10:30 AM on Saturday, March 30, Portland Timbers players Sal Zizzo and Brent Richards and mascot Timber Joey will join forces with volunteers and the Timbers Army in Happy Valley to plant trees along the banks of Rock Creek and its tributaries.
This is a great opportunity for Timbers fans and volunteers from the community to work side by side with Timbers players by planting trees together in an effort to help restore the banks of Rock Creek and protect the natural beauty of Oregon.
This volunteer restoration event is part of the Rock Creek Partnership with SOLVE and the Clackamas River Basin Council, led by Friends of Trees. Rock Creek is a tributary to the Clackamas River and supports numerous species of wildlife, including salmonoids.
Friends of Trees will provide breakfast snacks along with hot chocolate and coffee for those arriving before the 9:00 AM scheduled start. They also encourage volunteers to come dressed for the weather and wearing boots or sturdy shoes when joining them to plant trees.
Volunteers are welcome to join the Saturday tree planting at 15241 SE Chelsea Morning Drive, Happy Valley, OR 97086 (map). Visit www.friendsoftrees.com/volunteering for more information.
The adventures of the Portland Timbers on tour for Dribble Oregon 2013 continued yesterday with Danny Mwanga, Eric Alexander and myself venturing into the snow and ice of Klamath Falls. Our furthest trip on this year’s tour was made easy thanks to JELD-WEN. Our flight was amazing due to the inversion forcing the clouds into the valley and exposing all the mountains of the cascades to those above 5,000 feet. Mt. Hood, Jefferson, Broken Top, Three Finger Jack, the Three Sisters, Bachelor, Diamond and Crater Lake were all crystal clear in the sunshine, and entertained us on the trip south. This trip marked the third clinic the Timbers have put on in Klamath Falls. The fans there are great and continuously show their support by wearing Timbers green.
The boys started the day with two clinics teaching kids, ages 5-12, passing, dribbling and shooting skills. I'm not sure who wore out who, as both the coaches and kids seemed out of breath following each clinic. Questions from kids ranged from "Who's your favorite player?" to "Why do you like soccer?" All in all, it was a fun time for everyone with lots of laughs.
Our pub stop was back at the Creamery for the second year in a row. The Creamery is a large brew pub with a fire place, couches and great food. As much as I try to avoid gluten and dairy, I couldn't help but order their mac and cheese wedges. They are amazing and I can't stop talking about them (I may have a problem.) It was great to see familiar faces from years past and other stops on this year’s current tour. Andrew and Dalton came up from Shasta, CA for the Medford stop and then met us again at the Creamery. The meet and greet session brought tons of questions and answers that showcased the guys’ personalities. The room filled with laughter when Danny and Eric danced Danny's goal celebration dance, and then filled with applause when Danny explained that his mom was his hero. Both guys explained that they are very proud to be Portland Timbers and are looking forward to playing under Coach Porter. One more stop on this year’s trip. Looking forward to Astoria on Saturday. I hope to see you there!
Adin Brown in 2011 - Photo by Craig Mitchelldyer
After a time of year of giving, it is interesting to hear from a former Portland Timbers player who is now making a career of giving back. Adin Brown started the inaugural MLS match for the Portland Timbers in 2011 as part of a career that included helping lead the New England Revolution to the 2002 MLS Cup final, becoming a fan favorite with Norwegian side Aalesund (where he also scored a goal), to becoming the first ever Timbers Alumni Ambassador of the MLS era. Timbers fans will also be familiar with Brown's voice as he became a regular soccer analyst on Portland radio broadcasts during the 2012 season.
But it is in Brown's post-soccer career that he is perhaps having one of his biggest impacts. A longtime supporter of the Big Brothers Big Sisters program--he was a "Big" early in his career in Colorado--Brown had made appearances on their behalf while a player with the Timbers at their Northwest chapter in Portland. After retiring, Brown approached them about volunteering again and they countered with a job offer to head up their new Sports Buddies program. Sports Buddies helps pair adult mentors with kids around athletic activities.
A natural talker, Brown sat down with me to talk about his time off the pitch, his passion for BBBS Northwest and how he's making a difference in Portland.
The Backcut Podcast sits at the intersection of Timbers, soccer & culture to explore the unique elements of the beautiful game. You can subscribe to The Backcut on iTunes in the same feed as the Talk Timbers podcast.
National Efforts
Join MLS W.O.R.K.S. as we support Red Cross relief efforts for Hurricane Sandy.
Donations help the Red Cross provide shelter, food, emotional support and other assistance to those affected by disasters like Hurricane Sandy. To donate, people can visit www.redcross.org, call 1-800-RED-CROSS, or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Contributions may also be sent to someone’s local Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. Learn more.
To schedule a blood donation or get more information about giving blood, people can visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). To give blood, someone must be at least 17 years of age, meet weight and height requirements and be in general good health.
The ambitious community outreach event known as Stand Together Week affected many non-profits and organizations across the city of Portland at the beginning of October. Close to 1,000 community volunteers, including 80 members of the Portland Timbers staff, coaches and players donated over 1,400 hours of service to the Portland community.
KPDX were at many of those events and tonight, Shauna Parsons and Wayne Garcia host a special about how the unique week all came together. There will be stories from across the various locations as well as an interview with Timbers COO Mike Golub about how and why the Timbers became involved and just what it meant to the Portland community.
Tune in at 9pm PT tonight on KPDX to watch and if you miss it, KPTV will air a repeat at 4pm PT on Nov. 4.
