sports writer
When the MLS Cup Tour makes its way through Cache Valley on Friday, representatives of Real Salt Lake - the reigning champions of Major League Soccer - will be there to make the experience extra special for several local youngsters.
Not only will the MLS Cup be displayed at five different elementary schools in the valley, it will exhibited for an extended period of time at an auction and dinner hosted by Wasatch Property Management and the Infinity Soccer Club.The Cup can be seen by the public starting around 3:30 p.m., and the silent auction is scheduled from 4:30-6 at the Riverwoods Conference Center. Following the auction, Infinity SC - a non-profit organization home to 29 teams from the valley - will host a dinner from 6-8:30 p.m. Cost for the dinner is $20 and is open to the general public.
Jeff Ginn, technical director of Infinity, developed a friendship with RSL employee Scott Reynolds several years ago when Ginn was the head soccer head at Iowa Western Community College. Reynolds, RSL's sales manager, and Ginn were reunited when Ginn moved to Utah, and the professional soccer club and Infinity have formed quite the partnership ever since.
"When I moved back to Utah, we ran into each other again and reunited those ties, and so we've had a good relationship," Ginn said. "Scott Reynolds and I have had a really good relationship over the few years.
"... They've just really bent over backwards to be part of Infinity and reach out to our club. They've been very accommodating for us."
Those who attend the dinner will receive a Real Nation T-shirt, a ticket voucher for RSL's homer opener against the Seattle Sounders on April 10, and will have their picture taken with RSL's mascot, Leo the Lion, and the club's three trophies.
The other two trophies are the Eastern Conference Championship Cup and the Rocky Mountain Cup. RSL captured the Rocky Mountain Cup by winning the 2009 season series with the rival Colorado Rapids.
All proceeds from the auction - select items will also be auctioned off at the dinner - will go to Infinity. The club will use a lot of the money it raises to help parents with monthly dues, Ginn said, and Infinity plans on donating a portion of it to District 7 of the Utah Youth Soccer Association. Infinity also plans on using a portion of it to improve soccer fields and equipment in the valley.
Real Salt Lake has aided Infinity in its fundraising efforts before, and plans on contributing at least $10,000 to the cause, according to Infinity's Web site, www.infinitysc.com.
"Each team has the liberty of doing their own fundraising activities, from cleaning the Spectrum, from selling items like Fat Boy Ice Cream, so a lot of different individual team things happen," Ginn said. "We did one other thing with Real Salt Lake last summer. We had an Infinity Day, where we got a percentage of the tickets that we sold and our kids got to go play on the field during halftime and we got to walk out with the (RSL) players holding their hands in the pre-game, so there's a really neat tie with Real Salt Lake and Infinity Soccer already."
The fact that Bill Manning, president of RSL, will be a guest speaker at the dinner would attest to this. Ginn praised Manning, saying hearing him speak makes the cost of the event more than worthwhile.
In addition to honoring RSL's breakthrough 2009 season, the event will focus on the recent achievements of Infinity players. Each team will recognize an offensive and defensive MVP, plus give out a "Forever Futbol Award" and name a most improved player.
Infinity enjoyed a lot of success in 2009 as several of its teams did well in State Cup competition and 14 of its players were selected to the Olympic Development Program (ODP) pool at the state level. All of those players, plus coaches and board members will be honored Friday.
In addition to Manning, Sky View sophomore Stacy Bair will speak at the dinner. Bair, a mainstay in the regional ODP pool, recently returned from Coral Springs, Fla., where she was invited to attend the prestigious National ODP Development Camp.
Those interested in the event, Infinity members or not, can purchase tickets by calling Celeste at 750-5151or by visiting the Elements Restaurant.
Ginn made it a point to thank Wasatch Property Management, the Riverwoods Conference Center and the Elements Restaurant for making this event a reality.
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