ORLANDO, Fla. (Sept. 11, 2019) - Orlando Pride will host its first ever Breast Cancer Awareness match on Saturday, Oct. 12, the team’s 2019 home finale. In addition, the match events will be bolstered by a league-wide online auction to benefit Libby’s Legacy, an Orlando-based non-profit selected by Pride defender Toni Pressley. Pressley, a four-year Pride veteran, announced she was diagnosed with breast cancer on Aug. 7.
Tickets for the Oct. 12 match are available for just $21 at the link here, with $5 from each ticket going back to Libby’s Legacy.
The Pride will wear limited-edition pink logo pre-match tops during warm-ups, which will be auctioned off following the match, as well as a number of game day activations from the pregame Fan Zone through the end of the match. Orlando, in partnership with Fanatics, will be offering two special merchandise pieces to support the initiative. A limited-edition t-shirt will be available in the Den at Exploria Stadium beginning Sept. 17. A speciality scarf will also be available starting Sept. 25. Both items can be purchased on pre-sale at ShopOrlandoPride.com with a portion of proceeds from sales going to Libby's Legacy.
Rallying around Pressley, all nine teams in the National Women’s Soccer League have joined forces for an online auction with all profits going to Libby’s Legacy, who provide comprehensive breast cancer resources to the underserved.
The auction, which features items from all nine clubs in the NWSL, will run from now until Friday, October 10, and can be found at the link here.
Highlights of the online auction include autographed limited-edition Nike Mercurial 360 'LVL UP' boots from 2017 NWSL MVP Sam Kerr, a signed U.S. Women’s National Team jersey from 2019 Women’s World Cup Champion Alex Morgan, a ball signed by the entire North Carolina Courage roster and much more.
“I can’t put into words what it means to have the support of the teams and players across the entire league. I feel overwhelmed with gratitude, from this auction to all of the tributes I have seen over the last month,” Pressley said. “I appreciate everyone’s thoughtfulness and contributions to raise awareness for something that impacts, not just myself, but so many others.”
The auction was spearheaded by Alyssa Naeher, Casey Short and the rest of the Chicago Red Stars, who wanted to provide support for Pressley and others impacted by breast cancer.
“The team here wanted to show our support to Toni during this time. I played with Toni during my time at Florida State and have always admired the person she is on the field, but more so off the field,” Red Stars defender Short said. “The fact that we can come together as a league and put these items up for auction, not just us to show our love for Toni, but for our fans as well, is nothing short of amazing.”
