ORLANDO, Fla. (May 15, 2021) — Following a revolutionary launch for the 2021 Ad Astra kit, Orlando Pride has announced The Mission Program, a new initiative that will continue to build off of the Club’s year-long campaign to honor and pay tribute to the many pioneers who have made groundbreaking strides.
Beginning with Sunday’s regular season opener, each of the Pride’s 12 home matches will feature a theme that is inspired by the achievements of these trailblazers, explorers and trendsetters that continue to inspire the next generation.
The match themes will all be centered around interests that are integral to the fabric of the Pride, the Club and the community. In conjunction with the Mission Program themes, the Pride will also use the platform to unveil five different Mission Patches: Inspiration, Planet Earth, Rainbow, Equality and W. These patches all traveled to space during the Ad Astra kit launch, returning to Earth as limited-edition collector's items and are inspired by five specific interests that are at the heart of the Club's ethos: inspiring the next generation, preservation/sustainability, diversity, equality, and women’s empowerment.
Five space-traveled Orlando Pride Ad Astra jerseys will be embellished with one of the respective Mission Patches and will be autographed by Pride players. Those specialty jerseys will later be auctioned online through the Orlando City Foundation, with proceeds used to create a Mission Fund. The Mission Fund will be dedicated to supporting community projects related to the Mission Program’s five core values.
The Mission Fund application process will be announced at a later date, and beneficiaries of the Mission Fund will be determined by a committee consisting of Pride players and Club leaders.
Replica, non-space traveled Mission Patches will be available to purchase at the CITYiD retail location during each respective theme night at Exploria Stadium. Other Mission-inspired merchandise will become available at The Den and at ShopOrlandoPride.com near each respective match.
The Pride open the regular season at Exploria Stadium this Sunday, May 16, against the Washington Spirit. That match, scheduled at 6 p.m. ET, will mark the first theme night and Mission Patch unveil of the year — “Mission Inspiration”. The game will also begin with an out-of-this-world kickoff using the 2021 NWSL match ball that also traveled into space.
Season Ticket Memberships, partial ticket plans and single-game tickets for the Pride’s first three home matches can be purchased at Orlando-Pride.com or by calling (855) ORL-CITY.
2021 Orlando Pride Theme Night Calendar:
May 16 vs. Washington Spirit - Mission Inspiration
May 26 vs. Portland Thorns FC - Health Care Heroes
May 30 vs. Kansas City - Mission Planet Earth
June 20 vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC - Mission Rainbow
July 4 vs. North Carolina Courage - American SHEroes Night
July 9 vs. Racing Louisville FC - Mission Equality
July 24 vs. OL Reign - For Club & Country
Aug. 14 vs. Portland Thorns FC - Mission W
Sept. 5 vs. Houston Dash - The Space Race
Sept. 11 vs. Racing Louisville FC - Youth Champions
Oct. 9 vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC - Breast Cancer Awareness
Oct. 29 vs. Chicago Red Stars - Legends Night
