America SCORES hosted an intimate meet and greet event with Seattle Sounders' players Brad Evans and Steve Zakuani, Coach Stigi Schmid and Manager Adrian Hanauer at Ballard's Market Arms on Thursday, August 25.

"This is good visibility for us," said Caroline Kelley, Executive Director of America SCORES.
"The fans are here for the Sounders but it's a good opportunity to let them know about what we do."

America SCORES is an organization that runs after-school soccer programs for low-income kids in elementary schools, predominantly in Seattle's Central District and White Center neighborhoods.

"Ninety-five percent of our kids come from non-white immigrants that are not only low-income but also a minority. None of these kids will be able to afford to play Select Soccer. We give them an opportunity to have a jersey and to belong to a team," said Caroline kelley, Executive Director of America SCORES.

In addition to playing soccer, America SOCCERS kids get together as a team once a week to write poetry, participate in service-learning and volunteering programs, and build relationships with other America SCORES teammates and coaches that continues when the season is over.

As a fundraiser, America SCORES sold tickets for prize drawings for exclusive Sounders FC memorabilia including such as a Mauro Rosales signed ball, Fredy Montero autographed jerseys, suite tickets to a Sounders FC home match, and much more.

The Sounders players and staff were welcomed with much applause by the fans.

Player Steve Zakuani received especially much attention as he was badly injured earlier this season. Zakuani is slowly recovering from a broken leg which he obtained in April from a bad challenge by Colorado Rapids player Brian Mullan.

Addressing the crowd, Zakuani expressed his gratefulness for the overwhelming amount of support and well-wishes he has received from Sounders fans over the last four months.

"I want to thank you all for the support and helping me through some hard times," he said.

"The first months were tough but all my energy has been towards my recovery. I'm just happy to be walking again."

Zakuani said the outpouring of support has been amazing and that he's making good progress in recovery.

"It gets better day by day," he told the Ballard News-Tribune.

"I never set a deadline when I would be on the field again because then I get discouraged when I don't meet it," he said. "I just take it day by day, week by week. I started jogging again and I'm getting close to being back."

Zakuani added that even as a spectator this has been a very exciting season for the Sounders.

The Sounders are currently in the number two seat in Major League Soccer and are considered to be the hottest team in America at the moment

Player Brad Evans thanked the fans for their "incredible support" in helping the team reach that success.

"Having you behind us means a lot," Evans said.

Coach Schmid later echoed the players' gratefulness stating, "We thank you guys for all the support we've received. We can hear you even when we're in Dallas."

The win over Dallas not only placed the Sounders in second place in MLS, it also showed they can beat FC Dallas, who they'll be facing on August 30 in the US Open Cup.

Evans told the Ballard News-Tribune that he thinks the Sounders have a good chance in winning the U.S. Open Cup again this year.

"We have done it twice already, so we can do it three times," he said.

In helping his team succeed, Evans said his personal goal for the next month is to stay healthy.

"I have been dealing with some small muscle injuries and for me, if you want to play, you have to be healthy. So I'm focusing on that," he said.

The Sounders play again on Saturday in a MLS home game against Columbus Crew.

For more information about the Sounders, visit www.soundersfc.com.
To learn more about America SCORES and its programs, visit www.americascores.org.