The Chicago Red Stars wrapped up their regular season home matches at SeatGeek Stadium on October 16th with a Fan Appreciation Night presented by IWSL that served as an experiential love letter to the best fans in the city. On top of a thrilling 2-1 victory over Kansas City, fans were treated to an array of activities and special moments both on and off the pitch.
Our supporter’s group, Chicago Local 134, kick-started the party with an epic tailgate that left everyone who attended buzzing with excitement for the evening ahead. Fans gathered for beer pong, food, and fun with Supernova – who was spotted roaming the crowd for photos, high fives, and dance-off challenges.
As fans got ready to enter the gate, our Nationwide Community Impact partner, Share Our Spare, greeted them with good vibes at the Diaper Drive. Share Our Spare collected more than 8,000 diapers – making a huge impact on their ability to provide the youngest Chicagoans with everything they need to thrive during their first five years of life. You can vote for Share Our Spare to win the $20,000 grand prize grant from the first inaugural Nationwide Community Impact Award by tweeting @chicagoredstars + #NationwideImpactAward daily through the end of October.
The first 3,000 fans in received a special edition Red Stars clap banner that would be put to good use during the 2-1 win. The concourse boasted activities for all ages. From soccer darts, cornhole, and photo stations to free GoGo Squeeze samples and the return of the Red Stars garage sale, fans were entertained from the moment they entered until the final whistle.
Halftime was hopping. We took a pause between the action to honor our volunteer Alvie, our first-ever Paul K. Yoo Service Award winner. Throughout the season Alvie displayed dedication and provided excellent contributions to the gameday experience. We also presented Share Our Spare with a $2,500 grant on behalf of Nationwide, awarded the winner of the AAA Chicago “Rolling With the Red Stars” sweepstakes with a custom Red Stars-themed bike, and wrapped up by recognizing our latest Wintrust Rising Star winner of the month.
After the final whistle, Arin Wright was surprised with flowers and an adorable video message from her family in honor of hitting her 10,000 minute milestone in the 49th minute of play. The evening concluded with players holding up a giant banner thanking the fans followed by autographs.
Thank you to our fans for your constant support. We hope the evening was as special for you as it was for us and that we get to see you at SeatGeek Stadium one more time this year!
