As summer wrapped up and the new school year got into full swing, Republic FC – along with numerous partners and organizations – was all over the region to give back to the community these past two months.
Community Events
Republic FC’s Community Investment Team and Cap City Crew brought the fun to several events in the Sacramento area with soccer darts, free swag, and even a free clinic with the assistance of first team players Rafael Jauregui and Aldair Sanchez.
Fit x G6
The club teamed up with its partners at G6 Performance to turn Heart Health Park into a fitness playground on August 3. Fifty people participated in the free workout extravaganza that included strength training, cardio, and agility drills. Republic FC has continued to utilize Heart Health Park as a community asset to call attention to the importance of community health and wellbeing, hosting a variety of events including fitness events and vaccination clinics.
Special Olympics Unified Team
The squad headed out for its first-ever road trip, facing its counterparts from MLS clubs LAFC and LA Galaxy. Ahead of the trip, the team was invited to attend the Republic FC match and got a big send off from the crowd as fans erupted in applause and cheers during a special halftime recognition.
The Unified Team is in its second season and features 20 local athletes who wear the Republic FC crest and kit on the pitch just as the first-team players do. A program coordinated by Special Olympics, Unified Sports join people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team. It was inspired by a simple principle: training and playing together is a quick path to friendship and understanding.
Republic FC’s Manager of Youth Programming, Filip Handl, serves as the team’s Head Coach and has been a longtime volunteer with Special Olympics. He recently participated in US Youth Soccer’s Grassroots Symposium to share about his experience of providing opportunities for people of all abilities to play the game of soccer.
El Futuro Scholarship
Every September, Republic FC teams up with the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to support the educational journey of a deserving local scholar in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. This year’s recipient, Larisa Rosales, not only earned a special halftime recognition during the club’s Noche Latina match, but also got to share her culture with the fans in a performance with Nuevo Amanecer Folkloric.
Larisa is a first generation college student at UC Davis, pursuing a degree in anthropology.
STEM Goals
Republic FC and SMUD visited Joseph Sims Elementary School to introduce a class of 4th and 5th graders to STEM Goals, a soccer-based board game developed by the partners to provide educators with a resource that links sports and science in a fun and engaging way. Jared Timmer and Jared Mazzola were on hand to interact with students and even put their own STEM knowledge to the test.
Since its pilot program launched in 2021, STEM Goals has reached over 2,500 students at 30 local schools. The game brings the world’s most popular sport directly into the hands of students with age-appropriate, standards-aligned questions across science, technology, engineering, and math disciplines, working up and down the field to score goals using stats from current Republic FC players.
Superhero Keeper Kit
What’s better than a 4-0 win, a sold out crowd, and a superhero-like performance from Danny Vitiello? How about the club using its platform to make a difference in the lives of families battling childhood cancer.
After the club’s September 29 match, four Superhero Keeper Kits were auctioned off to benefit the Super Fritz & Friends Fund, which supports pediatric cancer patients and families receiving through UC Davis Health. Intense bidding wars ensued and over $3,000 were raised for the cause.
SEVA Fest
For the fourth straight year, dozens of student reporters, videographers, and photographers-in-training attended a Republic FC match to get a behind-the-scenes and hands-on look at what a gameday looks like for a sports reporter. In addition to interviewing fans and staff, students had the opportunity to hear from local media personalities. Participants will now work with the faculty advisors to produce a 90-second video from the day’s festivities.
Donations & Community Tickets
The club supported a total of 95 community events with a variety of donations valued at $13,193. Nearly 3,500 tickets were distributed across 218 local non-profits and organizations.
