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Stay up to date with everything MLS2SAC at mls2sac.com. 

Stay up to date with everything MLS2SAC at mls2sac.com. 

Sacramento, Calif. – Following the successful launch of Republic FC Kickstart during National Black Business Month, Republic FC and Suncrest Bank – with the support of the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce – are opening the next phase of Republic FC Kickstart to support local, LatinX-owned small businesses throughout the region. 

To honor Hispanic Heritage Month, Republic FC is calling on fans, the community, and the business community to nominate small businesses that reflect the Indomitable Spirit of the Capitol Region. The Republic FC Kickstart program will again award a $5,000 grand prize grant, as well as a $2,500 and three $1,000 grants to small businesses in the greater Sacramento Region. 

Nominations for businesses will open on Friday, October 23 and run through Friday, November 6 and can be submitted at www.sacrepublicfc.com/suncrestbank. 

Sacramento, Calif. – Following the successful launch of Republic FC Kickstart during National Black Business Month, Republic FC and Suncrest Bank – with the support of the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce – are opening the next phase of Republic FC Kickstart to support local, LatinX-owned small businesses throughout the region. 

To honor Hispanic Heritage Month, Republic FC is calling on fans, the community, and the business community to nominate small businesses that reflect the Indomitable Spirit of the Capitol Region. The Republic FC Kickstart program will again award a $5,000 grand prize grant, as well as a $2,500 and three $1,000 grants to small businesses in the greater Sacramento Region. 

Nominations for businesses will open on Friday, October 23 and run through Friday, November 6 and can be submitted at www.sacrepublicfc.com/suncrestbank. 

“Our community is enriched by its diversity of small businesses.  As the extended effects of the pandemic continue, Republic FC Kickstart will expand to provide support to LatinX-owned businesses,” said club President and COO Ben Gumpert. “Alongside our partners at Suncrest Bank and the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, we’re looking forward to shining a light on the great work of these businesses throughout our region.”

“As a local bank committed to seeing economic recovery in the Greater Sacramento region, Suncrest Bank recognizes there is more that we can do to support our small business community,” said Suncrest Bank CEO and President Ciaran McMullan. “If we are to succeed together in the capital region it is critical to ensure greater financial inclusion for small businesses that may not have equal access to capital and other financial services. We are thrilled to continue working towards these goals alongside our partners Sacramento Republic FC and the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for the next in our series of Kickstart Grants.”

“We are excited that the Sacramento Republic and Suncrest Bank recognize the importance of LatinX -owned businesses to our Sacramento regional economy and have chosen for the next phase of the Kickstart Grant Program to focus on LatinX small businesses’,” said Cathy Rodriguez-Aguirre, President and CEO, Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. “This is an incredible opportunity for our businesses to potentially receive a much-needed financial boost, and more importantly tor them to see that there are community partners that believe in them and value their contributions. We appreciate the Sacramento Republic and Suncrest Bank for creating this fantastic program, for supporting our minority-owned small businesses, and choosing the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce as their partner for this great initiative.”

The LatinX / Hispanic business community have been severely impacted by the COVID-19 impact. A Stanford University report notes that 83% of Latino business owners report experiencing immediate negative effects as result of the pandemic. Hispanics and LatinX communities are key to a national economic recovery – as signaled by 34% growth in LatinX owned-business in the last decade, compared to 1% for all other business owners – but have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. The report also notes that Latin-owned businesses have their PPP loans approved at half the rate of white-owned businesses.

Additional reporting from the Economic Policy Institute notes that only one in six Hispanic/LatinX workers are able to work from home.These workers who cannot work from home—particularly those in retail and hospitality—also find their jobs at risk as social distancing keeps people from engaging in their normal activities. 

Locally, over 4,200 of the more than 23,000 reported cases are classified as Hispanic residents, roughly one-third of Sacramento County’s documented cases. 

To help bridge the resources gap that many minority-owned businesses experience, all nominees will have access to free educational services and consulting opportunities from Suncrest Bank. Following the nominations window, voting will open November 17 and run through the 24th.  The top five businesses as selected by the club’s fans will have one final opportunity to make their case for the $5,000 grant as selected by a panel of local leaders. 

For additional information about Republic FC Kickstart, visit www.sacrepublicfc.com/suncrestbank. 

“Our community is enriched by its diversity of small businesses.  As the extended effects of the pandemic continue, Republic FC Kickstart will expand to provide support to LatinX-owned businesses,” said club President and COO Ben Gumpert. “Alongside our partners at Suncrest Bank and the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, we’re looking forward to shining a light on the great work of these businesses throughout our region.”

“As a local bank committed to seeing economic recovery in the Greater Sacramento region, Suncrest Bank recognizes there is more that we can do to support our small business community,” said Suncrest Bank CEO and President Ciaran McMullan. “If we are to succeed together in the capital region it is critical to ensure greater financial inclusion for small businesses that may not have equal access to capital and other financial services. We are thrilled to continue working towards these goals alongside our partners Sacramento Republic FC and the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for the next in our series of Kickstart Grants.”

“We are excited that the Sacramento Republic and Suncrest Bank recognize the importance of LatinX -owned businesses to our Sacramento regional economy and have chosen for the next phase of the Kickstart Grant Program to focus on LatinX small businesses’,” said Cathy Rodriguez-Aguirre, President and CEO, Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. “This is an incredible opportunity for our businesses to potentially receive a much-needed financial boost, and more importantly tor them to see that there are community partners that believe in them and value their contributions. We appreciate the Sacramento Republic and Suncrest Bank for creating this fantastic program, for supporting our minority-owned small businesses, and choosing the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce as their partner for this great initiative.”

The LatinX / Hispanic business community have been severely impacted by the COVID-19 impact. A Stanford University report notes that 83% of Latino business owners report experiencing immediate negative effects as result of the pandemic. Hispanics and LatinX communities are key to a national economic recovery – as signaled by 34% growth in LatinX owned-business in the last decade, compared to 1% for all other business owners – but have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. The report also notes that Latin-owned businesses have their PPP loans approved at half the rate of white-owned businesses.

Additional reporting from the Economic Policy Institute notes that only one in six Hispanic/LatinX workers are able to work from home.These workers who cannot work from home—particularly those in retail and hospitality—also find their jobs at risk as social distancing keeps people from engaging in their normal activities. 

Locally, over 4,200 of the more than 23,000 reported cases are classified as Hispanic residents, roughly one-third of Sacramento County’s documented cases. 

To help bridge the resources gap that many minority-owned businesses experience, all nominees will have access to free educational services and consulting opportunities from Suncrest Bank. Following the nominations window, voting will open November 17 and run through the 24th.  The top five businesses as selected by the club’s fans will have one final opportunity to make their case for the $5,000 grant as selected by a panel of local leaders. 

For additional information about Republic FC Kickstart, visit www.sacrepublicfc.com/suncrestbank. 

Sacramento, Calif. – Earlier today, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced that Sacramento will serve as the host for the 2024 Men’s and 2025 Women’s College Cup – the semifinals and finals for the national championship tournaments. The single elimination tournaments will welcome the top four teams in college soccer on Dec. 13 and 15 in 2024, and Dec. 5 and 7 in 2025. Fans can sign-up to receive updates and join a waitlist for ticketing at MLS2Sac.com/railyards-stadium/ncaa.

“This has always been about building a better Sacramento through the beautiful game.” said Sacramento Republic FC President and COO Ben Gumpert. “We’re excited to welcome the NCAA, student-athletes and their families, and soccer fans from around the country to our indomitable city. Today’s announcement is just the beginning of our vision to create an active and open stadium for the entire region to enjoy.”

“The Railyards Stadium and community investment by Republic FC is already beginning to create returns for Sacramento,” said Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg. “Hosting the College Cup will showcase our wonderful city to new audiences and create new economic activity. “

Sacramento, Calif. – Earlier today, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced that Sacramento will serve as the host for the 2024 Men’s and 2025 Women’s College Cup – the semifinals and finals for the national championship tournaments. The single elimination tournaments will welcome the top four teams in college soccer on Dec. 13 and 15 in 2024, and Dec. 5 and 7 in 2025. Fans can sign-up to receive updates and join a waitlist for ticketing at MLS2Sac.com/railyards-stadium/ncaa.

“This has always been about building a better Sacramento through the beautiful game.” said Sacramento Republic FC President and COO Ben Gumpert. “We’re excited to welcome the NCAA, student-athletes and their families, and soccer fans from around the country to our indomitable city. Today’s announcement is just the beginning of our vision to create an active and open stadium for the entire region to enjoy.”

“The Railyards Stadium and community investment by Republic FC is already beginning to create returns for Sacramento,” said Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg. “Hosting the College Cup will showcase our wonderful city to new audiences and create new economic activity. “

Railyards Stadium will serve as Sacramento Republic FC’s new home when the team enters Major League Soccer in 2023. With the support of Major League Soccer, Republic FC have adjusted their construction timeline to be flexible in responding to the impact of the pandemic on Sacramento, as well as in the sports industry. Planning for the 20,000+ seat, soccer-specific stadium is in its final stages, with groundbreaking to come in next few months. The 31-acre stadium and entertainment district site anchors the largest urban infill project in the country and will also host Men’s and Women’s National team games, friendlies, concerts, festivals and plenty of other sporting, civic and family events. 

For more information about Railyards Stadium and the 2024 and 2025 College Cup, visit MLS2Sac.com.

Railyards Stadium will serve as Sacramento Republic FC’s new home when the team enters Major League Soccer in 2023. With the support of Major League Soccer, Republic FC have adjusted their construction timeline to be flexible in responding to the impact of the pandemic on Sacramento, as well as in the sports industry. Planning for the 20,000+ seat, soccer-specific stadium is in its final stages, with groundbreaking to come in next few months. The 31-acre stadium and entertainment district site anchors the largest urban infill project in the country and will also host Men’s and Women’s National team games, friendlies, concerts, festivals and plenty of other sporting, civic and family events. 

For more information about Railyards Stadium and the 2024 and 2025 College Cup, visit MLS2Sac.com.

After a resilient Republic FC team claimed a late 1-0 win over regional rival Reno 1868 FC on July 19, Mark Briggs’ men huddled together facing the stands to serenade the would-be packed house of Papa Murphy’s Park to Bill Withers’ classic tune about the unapparelled power of togetherness. 

“Lean on Me” has become a postgame tradition in Sacramento as there’s no more appropriate time than now to stand alongside your fellow man and belt out a rallying cry for friendship, resilience and overcoming the most difficult of circumstances – with the loving help of others. 

After a resilient Republic FC team claimed a late 1-0 win over regional rival Reno 1868 FC on July 19, Mark Briggs’ men huddled together facing the stands to serenade the would-be packed house of Papa Murphy’s Park to Bill Withers’ classic tune about the unapparelled power of togetherness. 

“Lean on Me” has become a postgame tradition in Sacramento as there’s no more appropriate time than now to stand alongside your fellow man and belt out a rallying cry for friendship, resilience and overcoming the most difficult of circumstances – with the loving help of others. 

The Indomitable City has embodied its indomitable spirit more than ever over these last few months – whether it was a global pandemic or a regional and catastrophic wildfire – Sacramento’s spirit has been unbreakable. But none of it would have been possible without finding the strength to lean on each other during the toughest of times. Even though the stands have lay barren for all but one competitive match in 2020, Mark Briggs’ men still feel the love and support from Republic FC fans all over the world, and it’s helped the carry the squad to a seventh consecutive trip to the postseason. 

The entire Sacramento Republic FC team and coaching staff has rallied behind both the city’s indomitable spirit and the uplifting ‘Lean on Me’ song that’s become a staple in the SRFC postgame routine.

The Indomitable City has embodied its indomitable spirit more than ever over these last few months – whether it was a global pandemic or a regional and catastrophic wildfire – Sacramento’s spirit has been unbreakable. But none of it would have been possible without finding the strength to lean on each other during the toughest of times. Even though the stands have lay barren for all but one competitive match in 2020, Mark Briggs’ men still feel the love and support from Republic FC fans all over the world, and it’s helped the carry the squad to a seventh consecutive trip to the postseason. 

The entire Sacramento Republic FC team and coaching staff has rallied behind both the city’s indomitable spirit and the uplifting ‘Lean on Me’ song that’s become a staple in the SRFC postgame routine.

“I think it’s very apparent that our cheering section, our fans that support the club, are a vital part of our organization and the amount of support that they give us is incomparable and undeniable,” Republic FC midfielder Andrew Wheeler-Omiunu said. “We just want to make sure that they know that we are fully appreciate and very grateful and I think ‘Lean on Me’ – the purpose of it is to capture the importance and attitude that we have towards our fans in that they are there for us in our hardest times and that’s why we’ve missed them so much in the stadium because when you do need a lift in the game, they are there for us to lean on. It sounds a bit cliché but there’s real meaning behind the lyrics to that song and I think that they represent well the feelings that we have towards our supporters.”

The man who wrote the original tune, Bill Withers who passed away in April, knows a little something about finding strength in difficult places having grown up as the youngest of six children in a West Virginia mining town. At 17, he joined the Navy for nearly a decade before he moved to Los Angeles where while working in an aircraft parts factory, Withers began recording demos after purchasing a guitar at a pawn shop. In 1971, Withers signed to Sussex Records where along with “Lean on Me”, the talented musician also wrote “Ain’t No Sunshine”, “Lovely Day”, and “Just the Two of Us” among many more. 

But of all his memorable work, “Lean on Me” might arguably be his most famous and praiseworthy melody. Rolling Stone Magazine even described it as a “song for every crisis”. 

“I think it’s very apparent that our cheering section, our fans that support the club, are a vital part of our organization and the amount of support that they give us is incomparable and undeniable,” Republic FC midfielder Andrew Wheeler-Omiunu said. “We just want to make sure that they know that we are fully appreciate and very grateful and I think ‘Lean on Me’ – the purpose of it is to capture the importance and attitude that we have towards our fans in that they are there for us in our hardest times and that’s why we’ve missed them so much in the stadium because when you do need a lift in the game, they are there for us to lean on. It sounds a bit cliché but there’s real meaning behind the lyrics to that song and I think that they represent well the feelings that we have towards our supporters.”

The man who wrote the original tune, Bill Withers who passed away in April, knows a little something about finding strength in difficult places having grown up as the youngest of six children in a West Virginia mining town. At 17, he joined the Navy for nearly a decade before he moved to Los Angeles where while working in an aircraft parts factory, Withers began recording demos after purchasing a guitar at a pawn shop. In 1971, Withers signed to Sussex Records where along with “Lean on Me”, the talented musician also wrote “Ain’t No Sunshine”, “Lovely Day”, and “Just the Two of Us” among many more. 

But of all his memorable work, “Lean on Me” might arguably be his most famous and praiseworthy melody. Rolling Stone Magazine even described it as a “song for every crisis”. 

And it’s a message that applies to so many different aspects of life. It applies to a defender leaning on his teammates to cover him if he’s out of position. It applies to Republic FC leaning on its fans for support even though the two can’t physically be together in times of a pandemic. It applies to the community leaning on each other to elevate awareness about social justice and create a better world for tomorrow – because as Withers said “sometimes in our life, we all have pain, we all have sorrow. But, if we are wise, we know that there’s always tomorrow.” 

His inspiring words to overcome obstacles with an indomitable spirit is a perfectly fitting ballad for the Indomitable Club during these challenging times. By way of an unwavering level of love and support, there’s no more humbling and greater joy than helping those in need. 

Caring for the community is woven into the fabric of Sacramento Republic FC and an anthem such as “Lean on Me” is already woven into the identity of the club – it’s a commitment to the Indomitable City that when times are tough, we’ll stand tall and showcase our indomitable spirit, together.  

“We’re indomitable,” Republic FC defender Jordan McCrary said. “With this city, with all that’s going on, we still need to be close to each other. Be with each other. They’re here for us and we’re here for them. They help lead us to victory whenever we need the help. We need someone to lean on! For us, we have such a strong connection with the TBB, they cheer us on every single game. Just because they’re not here right now, doesn’t mean they’re not here with us.”

And it’s a message that applies to so many different aspects of life. It applies to a defender leaning on his teammates to cover him if he’s out of position. It applies to Republic FC leaning on its fans for support even though the two can’t physically be together in times of a pandemic. It applies to the community leaning on each other to elevate awareness about social justice and create a better world for tomorrow – because as Withers said “sometimes in our life, we all have pain, we all have sorrow. But, if we are wise, we know that there’s always tomorrow.” 

His inspiring words to overcome obstacles with an indomitable spirit is a perfectly fitting ballad for the Indomitable Club during these challenging times. By way of an unwavering level of love and support, there’s no more humbling and greater joy than helping those in need. 

Caring for the community is woven into the fabric of Sacramento Republic FC and an anthem such as “Lean on Me” is already woven into the identity of the club – it’s a commitment to the Indomitable City that when times are tough, we’ll stand tall and showcase our indomitable spirit, together.  

“We’re indomitable,” Republic FC defender Jordan McCrary said. “With this city, with all that’s going on, we still need to be close to each other. Be with each other. They’re here for us and we’re here for them. They help lead us to victory whenever we need the help. We need someone to lean on! For us, we have such a strong connection with the TBB, they cheer us on every single game. Just because they’re not here right now, doesn’t mean they’re not here with us.”

On Thursday, Republic FC joined forces with local leaders and a special family to honor the legacy of coach committed to using soccer to transform lives. Before the end of the month, Republic FC – with the support of Bank of America and Councilmember Jeff Harris – will transform an unused tennis court, and refresh a decade old futsal court into two new, vibrant futsal courts that reflect the community.

The new court will add another playing surface to Carrillo Court at Northgate Park, named in honor of local soccer coach Arturo “Art” Carrillo – a passionate coach who invested in the development of countless youth in the region until his passing a decade ago. His son, Gabriel Carillo – now a coach as well – shared his own fond memories of time spent with his father at Northgate Park and how this is a great tribute for his memory to live on.

Azteca FC Coach and Founder Rose Shoen has championed the refurbishment of this court with local leaders. Her indomitable spirit has advanced the project along through city council presentations, the creation of community surveys in English and Spanish to meet the needs of the community and working with Republic FC to bring a vision to life.

Before the end of the month, Carillo Court will re-open with two futsal courts, ready for the next generation of athlete to enjoy.