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(Image: Michael Owens, The Players' Tribune)
LOS ANGELES // NEW YORK (June 3, 2024) – Audi of America, Major League Soccer and The Players’ Tribune today announced that midfielder Ilie Sánchez of the Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) will be featured in the Celebrating Impact content series for his demonstration of excellence in driving progress in his community.
Working directly with Ilie to spotlight causes that are important to him, content will be unveiled through a written article, video, and social media across The Players’ Tribune’s and MLS’ channels, amplifying the power of Ilie’s voice and raising awareness for charities close to his heart.
Ilie has a longstanding history of positively impacting the community in the cities he has played in through his work with the Special Olympics’ Unified Teams. The 2019 & 2021 recipient of the Neal and Jeanne Patterson Humanitarian of the Year award during his time with Sporting Kansas City, Ilie has recently served as an advocate and supporter of the inaugural LAFC Special Olympics Unified Team, attending the team’s signing day, special events and team trainings to further their success and advocate for universal inclusion across sport. Ilie keeps inclusion top of mind in all his social impact work by ensuring that everyone feels welcome - regardless of ability, ethnicity, age, religion, or gender identity.
“Being a voice for positive social change is such an important part of my life,” Sanchez said. “It is an honor to be featured in the Celebrating Impact content series, and I’m fortunate to have the platform to help inspire and make a positive impact. I’m committed to giving back to the Los Angeles community.”
In honor of Ilie’s incredible work driving progress off the field, Audi will be making a $40,000 contribution through the Audi Goals Drive Progress fund to support the impactful work of Special Olympics Southern California and their unified soccer teams.
Audi’s immense commitment to community projects will continue to be highlighted as part of the end-of-year player recognitions through the return of the Audi Goals Drive Progress Impact Award. A selection committee – comprised of current players, technical staff, front office staff and media members – will consider current MLS players who are dedicated to enriching lives and improving communities across the league. A $150,000 contribution will be made to the player’s charity of choice and presented to the winner during MLS Cup presented by Audi.
A longstanding partner of MLS, Audi has made an immeasurable impact on the lives and playing careers of young soccer players as the force behind the Audi Goals Drive Progress initiative . Launched in 2019, the initiative provides funding to further enhance the experience of young players on and off the field at MLS academies, which play an essential role in developing talented players across the league. The Audi Goals Drive Progress initiative has evolved to not only support player development on the pitch but also to bring an impact off the pitch by financially supporting and spotlighting the community initiatives of players. Since the program’s inception, Audi has funded a combined total of $5 million to support MLS academies and player selected charity organizations.
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