Title
To honor and recognize the Columbus Crew on their 13th Season in Columbus.
Body
WHEREAS, in 1996, Major League Soccer chose Columbus, Ohio as "home" for the Columbus Crew, one of its original 10 teams; and
WHEREAS, The Columbus Crew and Major League Soccer are poised to begin their 13th season of bringing major-league soccer excitement to the citizens of Columbus; and
WHEREAS, Crew Stadium enters its tenth season as the first major-league stadium built specifically for soccer in the United States; and
WHEREAS, Columbus Crew players and coaches have represented the City of Columbus well both nationally and internationally by exhibiting a high level of skill, determination, confidence, and character; and
WHEREAS, through public soccer clinics and the Kicks for Kids program, the Columbus Crew have introduced the sport of soccer to area youngsters; and
WHEREAS, the Columbus Crew and its charitable arm, the Crew Soccer Foundation, have worked to strengthen our community through countless volunteer hours spent through their partnerships with programs such as Soccer Aid, a month-long fund-raiser for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation called, Youth to Youth International's Just Say No March & Rally, ColumbusReads, and Keep Columbus Beautiful; and
WHEREAS, the Columbus Crew will begin their quest for the 2008 MLS Cup on their March 29 season opener, with the Crew taking on the Toronto FC at Crew Stadium; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
That we applaud the COLUMBUS CREW for 12 years of bringing soccer excitement to Columbus and offer our best wishes for a championship as the 13th season begins.