The Portland Timbers, and the club’s community outreach platform Stand Together, have been selected as a finalist for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s (RWJF) Steve Patterson Award for Excellence in Sports Philanthropy. The Timbers are one of two finalists for the award, along with the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League, in the category for professional sports teams community relations departments or professional sports team foundations.
The prestigious Patterson Award from RWJF celebrates and promotes those in the sports world who are improving lives by leveraging the unique influence of sports. The Timbers and 49ers join an impressive and growing list of sports organizations and individuals who are answering the call to give back.
Past winners of the award include the San Francisco Giants Community Fund, the Red Sox Foundation and the Cincinnati Reds Community Fund.
The RWJF will play host to a ceremony on Sept. 25, in Princeton, N.J., in which they will recognize all of their 2013 award winners and celebrate sports philanthropy, by inviting 2013 award applicants, past winners and the review committee to an exclusive day of learning, networking and recognizing excellence in the field. For more information on RWJF, visit www.rwjf.org/patterson.
Through the Timbers’ community outreach platform, Stand Together, the club’s community mission is to harness the power of sport to improve the lives of children and families in the region through targeted programs, deep partnerships and philanthropic giving. The Timbers were awarded the 2012 MLS Community Relations Department of the Year award for their work in the greater-Portland community. For more on the Timbers community outreach programs and partners, visit www.portlandtimbers.com/stand-together.
