CHIVAS USA AND GREEN DOT PUBLIC SCHOOLS TEAM UP TO HOST
HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH SOCCER TOURNAMENT
 
First Annual “Animo Cup” To Feature Dozens of Boys and Girls’ Soccer Teams, Teachers and Families
 
CARSON, Calif. (Friday, June 3, 2011) – This Saturday, Chivas USA and the non-profit charter school operator Green Dot Public Schools will host the first annual “Animo Cup,” a day-long event that will feature
hundreds of high school student athletes competing for top honors in a seven-on-seven soccer tournament at the Home Depot Center.
 
A total of fourteen boys and ten girls’ teams will take to the field cheered on by hundreds of peers, teachers, and family members, representing 16 Green Dot high schools. Cheer teams, dance teams, and school bands  will be on-hand to show their school spirit, and families will be treated to exciting entertainment and fun all afternoon. This will be the first time that students attending Green Dot’s Animo High schools will participate in a sporting event of this magnitude, incorporating all of the Animo schools.
 
Green Dot Public Schools is the leading public school operator in Los Angeles and is dedicated to changing public education in Los Angeles so that all children receive the educations they need to reach their dreams. It currently operates 18 public charter high schools in the highest-need communities. Each Green Dot school (branded “Ánimo” schools) vastly outperforms comparable traditional public high schools. For more information visit: greendot.org
 
Participating students will be competing for a first place trophy and the opportunity to gain access to a meet and greet with Chivas USA star forward Justin Braun following the Saturday night match up between Chivas
USA and the Portland Timbers.  Students and coaches from each of the two winning teams will also be honored prior to the start of the game.
 
“Being part of the Green Dot family of schools means these students have high academic standards and that they are doing their very best in the classroom.” said Chivas USA Sr. Manager of Community Affairs Nadia
Gonzalez. “For us, this is an opportunity to give students a day filled with the excitement of soccer and a much deserved break from their studies.”
 
“This is our first-ever school-wide event, and it represents a great opportunity for spirit building, competition and camaraderie,” says Marco Petruzzi, CEO and President of Green Dot Public Schools. “We are so proud of our students, and the strides they continue to make, and we are excited to demonstrate our commitment to athletics as an important part of the high school experience.”
 
When:              Saturday, June 4, 2011
                        11:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. PT
 
                        11:30 a.m. – Opening Ceremony, Performances
                        Noon-4pm – Tournament
                        4:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. – Closing Ceremony
                        7:15 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. – Winning Teams Honored during Chivas Pre-Game Show (credentials available)
                        9:30pm (tent.) – Winning Teams Meet and Greet with Justin Braun
 
Where:             Home Depot Center (Field 5)
                        18400 Avalon Blvd
                        Carson, CA 90746
 
Who:                Hundreds of Green Dot student athletes, teachers, families and members of the community.
 
 
MEDIA RSVP: Please contact Nadia Gonzalez, Chivas USA Senior Manager of Community Affairs: ngonzalez@cdchivasusa.com, +1 (310) 409-8931.
 
cdchivasusa.com