Dynamo Charities and Houston Dynamo Legend Stuart Holden, in partnership with the Houston Parks and Recreation Department, will host a grand opening of the mini-pitches built at Herman Brown Park (400 Mercury Dr, Houston, TX 77013) on Thursday, Jan. 23.
“A couple of years ago when Hurricane Harvey ravaged Houston, I knew I needed to find a way to help my hometown. It all started with a post on social media and blossomed into a successful celebrity soccer match that brought together a city in a time of need,” Holden said. “I’m extremely proud to return to Houston this week to open a number of inner-city mini-pitches with some of the proceeds from Kick In For Houston. None of this would’ve been possible without fellow Houstonians, volunteers, my good friend and former teammate Brian Ching and the entire Houston Dynamo organization. I hope to see a lot of familiar faces on Thursday and look forward to meeting many more as we celebrate the grand opening.”
Four mini-pitches were built at Herman Brown Park and they will be open to the public during the park hours of 8 a.m. – 9 p.m. The Dynamo in collaboration with Dynamo Charities will host free soccer clinics at Herman Brown Park this spring in addition to programming from the Houston Parks and Recreation Department.
“We thank the Houston Dynamo for their partnership which has allowed us together to provide new opportunities for soccer in the Northshore area,” said Steve Wright, Director Houston Parks and Recreation Department. “We look forward to their continued support through their free clinics at Herman Brown Park.”
The Houston Dynamo will provide free clinics at the mini-pitches in March. For clinic dates and additional information, visit HoustonDynamo.com/Charities.
A portion of the funds generated from the Kick In For Houston charity match organized by Holden at BBVA Stadium in 2017 paid for the construction of the mini-pitches. The match was a nationally televised event that brought stars from sports and entertainment to Houston to raise money for Hurricane Harvey victims. Dynamo Charities and the Houston Parks and Recreation Department provided additional funds to complete the construction.
Herman Brown Park was selected as the site of the mini-pitches in answer to a need expressed by the soccer community. Underused facilities were converted to provide an all-weather area for soccer players. Project and fiscal management for the Herman Brown Mini Pitch Project was managed by the Houston Parks Board through the Neighborhood Partnership Program.
“We are excited to celebrate the grand opening of the mini-pitch courts alongside community members, Dynamo Charities, and the Houston Parks and Recreation Department,” said Beth White, President and CEO of Houston Parks Board. “We truly believe that parks should serve the recreational needs of the community and we are hopeful these pitches will be used by many for years to come.”
Holden will be joined by more than 40 students from nearby Whittier Elementary School. These students and residents from the northeast Houston area will be able to use the mini-pitches year-round and each filed is fully lit to remain available during park hours.
