CHICAGO, Ill. (Jan. 22, 2013) – The Chicago Fire Foundation, the charitable arm of the Chicago Fire Soccer Club, announced Tuesday that the Foundation will hold its 15th Annual Chicago Fire Season Kickoff Luncheon on Tuesday, March 5 at 11:00 a.m. CT at the Hyatt Regency Chicago (151 E. Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60601).
U.S. Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati will help kick off the Fire’s 16th season by delivering the keynote address. Gulati was elected as president of U.S. Soccer in March 2006, continuing a career in soccer in the United States that has spanned more than 30 years.
Tickets for the 2013 Chicago Fire Season Kickoff Luncheon start at $80 a person, with full tables for 10 guests at $750. The first 20 tables purchased for $850 will be seated with a member of the Fire first team or coaching staff. Tickets are available here or by calling (708) 496-6751.
Prior to his appointment as president, Gulati served in a variety of other positions for U.S. Soccer including Executive Vice President and Chief International Officer of FIFA World Cup 1994, Board of Directors of FIFA Women’s World Cup 1999 and 2003, and Chairman of the 2018/2022 World Cup Bid Committee.
Gulati, a highly regarded economics lecturer at Columbia University, was instrumental in creating the new National Women’s Soccer League which begins play in spring 2013.
Entering its 16th year, the Chicago Fire Foundation is a non-profit organization that helps the Chicago Fire contribute to the community. In 2012, the Chicago Fire Foundation hosted its largest luncheon to date, with a sellout crowd of nearly 800 people raising more than $80,000 benefiting soccer and education programs for underprivileged Chicagoland youths.
The annual event offers Fire supporters the first opportunity to meet the 2013 Chicago Fire team just days before Opening Night at Toyota Park and raise funds in the name of charity. In addition to interacting with Fire players, coaches and technical staff, the event includes a reception, lunch and silent auction where attendees can bid on autographed Fire and other sports memorabilia, gift certificates and much more. All proceeds benefit the Chicago Fire Foundation.
Chicago Fire Season Tickets and #cf97withdrawals Winter Packs, which give fans the opportunity to witness the Men in Red in action on Opening Night against the New England Revolution on Saturday, March 9 at 6:30 p.m. CT (NBC Sports Network) while receiving four Fire hats and four pairs of Fire gloves, are available by calling 1-888-MLS-FIRE, via Ticketmaster or by heading to the club’s official website at www.Chicago-Fire.com.
