Musco Lighting Invests $5 Million in U.S. Soccer Foundation to Keep Kids Moving During Pandemic and Beyond

WASHINGTON , February 24 /Businesswire/ - At a time when families are stuck at home because of a pandemic that has hit underserved communities particularly hard, Musco Lighting announced today that it is investing $5 million over the next five years in soccer programs and facilities to get American children moving. Specifically, Musco is donating this money to the U.S. Soccer Foundation to help fund the Foundation’s goal of engaging one million kids and building one thousand mini-pitches by 2026 to provide youth in underserved communities with the same opportunities to learn, play, and grow as their peers.

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Musco Lighting Invests $5M in U.S. Soccer Foundation. (Photo: Business Wire)

Additionally, Musco is announcing a new grant program that will allow communities to apply for funding to install mini-pitches or fund soccer lighting projects in their areas. Leaders can learn more about these grants and apply for one at The Soccer Fund.

Musco is a longtime partner of the Foundation having already contributed more than $5 million, including the company’s recent support as a funding partner in the Black Players for Change and Black Women’s Player Collective mini-pitch initiative earlier this year. Since the partnership began with the Foundation in 1999, Musco’s support has helped create or refurbish 200 fields and mini-pitches nationwide.

“Investing in youth soccer and this work is an investment in our communities. Eighty-one percent of kids in our program feel better about their future; eighty-three percent are healthier; and eighty-eight percent work better on teams,” said Ed Foster-Simeon, President & CEO of the U.S. Soccer Foundation. “These positive outcomes stay with kids throughout their lives and help prepare them to enter the workforce one day. We are grateful to Musco Lighting for their longstanding partnership with us to brighten the futures of children across the country.”

“The U.S. Soccer Foundation has spearheaded so many important initiatives across the country aimed at empowering young people with essential life skills, relationships, and fitness habits, things that will have a positive impact throughout their lives,” said Jeff Rogers, President of Musco. “We believe strongly in the Foundation’s mission and couldn’t be more proud to be their partner in this significant work.”

For more than twenty-five years, the U.S. Soccer Foundation’s evidence-based programs, and the coach-mentors who run them, have been nurturing children’s personal growth both on and off the field while providing underserved communities with safer places to play.

ABOUT U.S. SOCCER FOUNDATION

The U.S. Soccer Foundation’s programs are the national model for sports-based youth development in underserved communities. Since its founding in 1994, the Foundation has established programs proven to help children embrace an active and healthy lifestyle while nurturing their personal growth beyond sports. Its cost-effective, high-impact initiatives offer safe environments where kids and communities thrive. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Soccer Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization. For more information, visit www.ussoccerfoundation.org or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

ABOUT MUSCO LIGHTING

Since 1976, Musco Lighting has led the world in the design and manufacture of sports and large area lighting solutions. The company has pioneered lighting systems that enhance the venue and its purpose, are sensitive to the neighborhood and the environment, and are cost-effective to own and operate. Musco has been engineering systems around the LED for more than a decade, and has designed permanent and temporary solutions for everything from local Little League® fields to international Olympic Games. The company has earned awards including an Emmy for the quality of its lighting in television broadcasts and a Technical Academy Award, Oscar, for movie lighting. Musco’s global team of experts partner with customers to plan, complete, and maintain a trouble-free solution for their facilities.

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