For the second consecutive year, the Portland Timbers and the club’s community outreach platform, Stand Together, have been selected as a finalist for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Steve Patterson Award for Excellence in Sports Philanthropy. The Timbers are one of three finalists for the award, joining the Chicago Fire (MLS) and Toronto Blue Jays (MLB) in the category for professional sports teams foundations and community relations departments.
The winners for the 10th-annual Steve Patterson Award for Excellence in Sports Philanthropy will be announced on Sept. 18, 2014, at an exclusive event in Princeton, N.J., where RWJF will host award nominees, past winners and the review committee for a day of learning, networking and celebrating excellence in the field.
The Timbers’ Stand Together platform represents the relationship between the club and its fans, and signifies the strong commitment the team has to supporting and standing by the community both on and off the field. The Timbers are the only Major League Soccer team, and one of few teams in all professional sports, to have a separate brand for their community work. Under the banner of Stand Together, the Timbers harness the power of sport to improve the lives of children and families in the region through focus areas including youth sports and activities, education and the environment. Since its creation, Stand Together has awarded nearly $1.5 million in cash and in-kind donations.
“Across the board, the quality of our applicant pool this year was inspiring,” said Fred Mann, associate vice president of communications for RWJF. “The review process was difficult, but the seven finalist organizations have truly distinguished themselves by their leadership and community impact.”
An additional award will be presented in the category of individual athletes and professional coaches, and a third category is open to professional sports leagues, player associations and sports philanthropy organizations.Past Patterson Award winners include the San Francisco 49ers, the Memphis Grizzlies Charitable Foundation, the San Francisco Giants Community Fund and the U.S. Soccer Foundation.
