Screaming Fans/Eagles Stand United; MLS Season Kickoff Luncheon Raises Thousands For Charity!

NORTHWEST -- Replete with plenty of screaming fans (or Screaming Eagles at least), D.C. United formally unveiled its player roster for the 2012 Major League Soccer season on Monday afternoon, at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park hotel.

The jubilant gourmet luncheon affair saw over a hundred of the soccer team’s supporters turn out for the chance to sup with players and coaches sporting the black and red colors, while listening to insights from the club’s management.

Joining team President and CEO Kevin Payne, head coach Ben Olsen, assistant coaches Chad Ashton and Pat Onstad, and general manager Dave Kasper at the event were a variety of players, including Andrew Dykstra, Andy Najar, Bill Hamid, Brandon McDonald, Branko Boskovic, Chris Korb, Chris Pontius, Daniel Woolard, Danny Cruz, Dejan Jakovic, Dwayne DeRosario, Emiliano Dudar, Ethan White, Hamdi Salihi, Joe Willis, Josh Wolff, Kurt Morsink, Lance Rosenbloom, Maicon Santos, Marcelo Saragosa, Nick DeLeon, Perry Kitchen, Robbie Russel, and Stephen King.

Event Master of Ceremony Dave Johnson.
A raffle and crowded silent auction table helped further increase yesterday’s charitable lunchtime haul by the team, with over a dozen well-appointed items up for grabs, including signed sports memorabilia from a variety of D.C. teams and prized restaurant packages.

Proceeds from the afternoon will be used to support the many programming initiatives of the team’s charitable arm: United for D.C.. A nonprofit vehicle through which the team can help give back to its surrounding community, the 501(c)3 organization works to provide opportunities for disadvantaged area youth through soccer, healthy lifestyles, and literacy initiatives.

The green room for players prior to the event.
For example, in 2011 alone, the nonprofit’s United Reads program donated close to 10,000 books to area students, taught more than 600 kids about the fundamentals of soccer, and distributed more than 3,000 tickets to deserving area youths.

United we stand, to be sure.