Major League Soccer has announced the finalists for the 2018 MLS WORKS Community MVP Contest presented by Wells Fargo, which recognizes individuals using soccer to make a difference in their community. The Grand Prize winner, voted on by fans, will be recognized on-field during halftime of the 2018 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on August 1, and will receive a $25,000 donation for their selected charity.
Throughout June, MLS fans had the opportunity to nominate individuals who are building better communities using soccer. Twenty-three finalists have been chosen, one from each MLS club. Finalists were selected for making a positive impact in one of the following areas:
- Social issues focusing on inclusion, diversity and equality.
- Health issues affecting men, women or children.
- Community service for a local, national or international charitable organization.
Sporting Kansas City's representative on the fan voting ballot is Ann Murphy, who has served as a police officer in the Kansas City Police Department for more than a decade. Murphy founded Youth R.I.S.E. (Resilience Influence Support Education) in 2011 to transform the lives of adolescents in underserved neighborhoods across Kansas City. The non-profit soccer program assists at-risk youth by providing tutoring, mentoring and college prep services to help students secure academic and athletic scholarship opportunities.
A former student-athlete at Saint Louis University and Missouri Valley College, Murphy currently plays for the KC Courage in the WPSL. In addition, she volunteers at the Police Athletic League and is a member of the coaching staffs at Lutheran High School, Sporting Lee’s Summit and KC Courage. Murphy holds a Masters of Science in Criminal Justice and is pursuing her PhD in Public Policy and Administration while teaching criminal justice courses for the University of Phoenix.
“MLS fans have always shared our League’s commitment to giving back and serving their communities,” said JoAnn Neale, MLS Chief Administrative & Social Responsibility Officer. “With our partners at Wells Fargo, we believe the Community MVP program is a great way to salute many of the outstanding individuals who continue to make positive impacts across the U.S. and Canada through the sport of soccer.”
Each Community MVP finalist will receive two tickets to a 2018 MLS regular season match in their local market, a trip to MLS All-Star week in Atlanta, and an additional $1,000 donation from Wells Fargo to the nonprofit of their choice, among other prizes.
Fans are encouraged to vote for the Grand Prize winner by visiting the Community MVP Contest site and using the vote and Tweet buttons to cast their vote.
“In the past six years, MLS WORKS Community MVP winners have made a real difference to people in their communities, for example: improving foster care experiences, developing a scholarship program, and offering wellness activities for indigenous youth,” said Gary Korotzer, Executive Vice President and Head of Marketing & Brand Strategy for Wells Fargo. “This program is an important example of how Wells Fargo is recommitting to our customers and the communities we serve. We are giving $1 million per day to non-profits around the country and we couldn’t be prouder to partner with MLS WORKS to reward the organizations represented by these Community MVPs.”
About MLS WORKS
MLS WORKS, Major League Soccer’s community outreach initiative, is dedicated to addressing important social issues and serves as a platform for League and club philanthropic programs. MLS WORKS seeks to establish Major League Soccer as a leader for improving the lives of people through sport. MLS WORKS has helped to improve the communities where we live and play our games by executing programs and campaigns that focus on cancer research and treatment, anti-discrimination, community service, health and wellness, environmental sustainability and accessibility to soccer. To learn more, visit MLSsoccer.com/mls-works or follow us on Twitter @MLSWORKS.
About Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.9 trillion in assets. Wells Fargo’s vision is to satisfy our customers’ financial needs and help them succeed financially. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance through 8,200 locations, 13,000 ATMs, the internet (wellsfargo.com) and mobile banking, and has offices in 42 countries and territories to support customers who conduct business in the global economy. With approximately 265,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in the United States. Wells Fargo & Company was ranked No. 26 on Fortune’s 2018 rankings of America’s largest corporations.
