The official English launch took place Wednesday morning at Pierre de Coubertin Elementary School in St. Leonard.
“The club’s mission has always been to develop and promote soccer but at the same time, as a non-profit organization, we also have a mission to give back to the community,” said Montreal Impact President Joey Saputo. “This program with the English-Montreal School Board is a good example of how we are achieving both.”
EMSB Chairman Dominic Spiridigliozzi applauded the initiative. “Players from the Impact serve as role models for our students,” he remarked. “Last year’s experience was appreciated by everyone, from the school visits to the exciting game we attended. We can’t wait to do it all over again."
Over the next few weeks, members of the Impact will visit EMSB elementary schools to discuss with kids the importance of staying in school and striving for excellence.
As part of the partnership, the Impact’s game on Friday June 15 game against the Charleston Battery will be dedicated to the EMSB. Last year, 3,500 tickets were sold for the EMSB game-day that took place June 14, 2006. The EMSB Board hopes to surpass that number this year.
The Impact will hold a special ceremony before the game highlighting some of the most outstanding students, and bursaries will be awarded to the top students. These bursaries are named in honour of the late Tony Licursi, the longtime Impact statistician who died last year. Mr. Licursi was a member of the EMSB’s James Lyng High School Alumni Association.
As part of the partnership, Montreal Impact president Joey Saputo will also be honourary president of the Annual EMSB Golf Scholarship Tournament, which will take place on June 29 in Lachute. All proceeds from the tournament will help the EMSB with their bursaries program.
Impact players are also involved in other programs with the school boards, including an after school program, a back-to-school program with Regroupement Magasins-Partage and the CSDM, as well as Heart Week, in partnership with the EMSB.
The Impact will kick off the 2007 First Division United Soccer Leagues season on Sunday, April 21 in Atlanta against the Silverbacks. The Impact will play its 14th home opener of its history at Claude-Robillard Sports Complex on Sunday, May 20, against the Seattle Sounders.
The Impact 2007 season-ticket packages are now on sale. For further information, contact the Impact ticketing office at 514-328-3668 or ticketing@impactmontreal.com.
LIST OF EMSB’S SCHOOLS VISITS:
Monday, February 12 – 10:30 am
Leonardo Da Vinci Elementary School
Rivieres des Prairies
12 025 André Dumont Street
Tuesday, February 13 - 10 am
John Paul I Junior High School
St. Leonard
8455 Pré-Laurin Street
Wednesday, February 14 – 10 am
Westmount Park Elementary School
Westmount
15 Park Place
Thursday, February 15 – 10 am
General Vanier Elementary School
St. Leonard
4555 Buies Street
Friday, February 16 – 10 am
Dunrae Gardens Elementary School
Town of Mont-Royal
235 Dunrae Street
Tuesday, February 20 - 10 am
Our Lady of Pompei Elementary School
Ahuntsic
9944 St. Michel Street
Wednesday, February 21 – 10 am
Merton Elementary School
Côte Saint-Luc
5554 Robinson Street
Monday, February 26 – 10 am
Parkdale Elementary School
St. Laurent
1475 Deguire Street
-30-
Sources:
Patrick Vallée, Montreal Impact
514-328-3668, ext. 27
Michael J. Cohen, EMSB
514-483-7200, ext. 7243
