This Thanksgiving, the New York Red Bulls are thankful for the dedicated supporters that make this club what it is. This series will call attention to three aspects in particular that help shape the unique identity of this fanbase that has been through thick and thin, hot and cold all for the team.
- READ: THANKFUL FOR THE FAITHFUL: PART ONE | Red Bulls From The Beginning
- READ: THANKFUL FOR THE FAITHFUL: PART TWO | New York Is Red
At the heart of Thanksgiving is not only being grateful for what you do have but also helping those who don’t. Over the course of this season, the New York Red Bulls participated in several programs to help give back to the community around them, and the supporters were there to help every step of the way.
The first came during the 11 Days of Service, an annual community service program surrounding September 11. On September 9, the Viking Army joined the Red Bulls team and front office for the Covenant House BBQ. They helped prepare, cook and, serve food to the homeless youth that the Covenant House serves, and they brought along a tifo as well to raise spirits in their usual way. Overall, Viking Army has donated over $50,000 (and counting) to the charities they support.
The supporters came out for Covenant House again on October 23, when they joined the front office for the second-annual Sleep Out to raise awareness for homeless youth. A total of 80 participants slept outside Gate B with only a cardboard box and a sleeping bag to raise money – what turned out to be over $81,000 – for Covenant House of Newark. The event went from 7 p.m. on Friday to 6 a.m. on Sunday. It also fell into the 50s overnight, as cold as a few of the later games this season, but the weather would not adhere either their support or their generous efforts.
The Garden State Ultras continued the relationship with Covenant House before the second leg of the Eastern Conference semifinals against D.C. United. They collected scarves and jackets, soccer or otherwise, to donate in order to “make sure our streets are warm for a potential cold winter.” Not only did they collect until an hour before the 3 p.m. kickoff, they returned at 5 to make sure they had time to gather as many donations as possible.
The Empire Supporters’ Club are no strangers to service, either. Their Forza Lucha! event, now in its third year, raises money for the AIDS Resource Foundation for Children. The group tries to do at least one charity a year with them after first donating old computers in 2010. This one is an independent professional wrestling event that gathers “wrestling personalities” for pre-show games and crowdwork and, naturally, a few matches.
With support not limited to the stands, and all three supporters’ group explicitly stating missions to give back, this community will thankfully always be in good hands.
