The Houston Dynamo will wear special white jerseys with purple and green lettering for their Earth Day game against the New England Revolution on Sunday, it was announced today.
Dynamo midfielder Brad Davis modeled the jersey, featuring jersey partner Greenstar Recycling’s purple and green logo across the chest, at a press conference Tuesday afternoon at the team’s offices. The jerseys from Sunday’s game will be auctioned off in a special Dynamo Charities auction benefitting Keep Houston Beautiful, with bids accepted at Lloyd’s Register Gate 7 in the northwest corner of Robertson Stadium.
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The occasion will be the fourth time in team history the Dynamo have not worn orange jerseys at Robertson Stadium. The club wore maroon jerseys to honor victims of the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007, white jerseys in 2008 to honor Hurricane Ike victims, and white jerseys in the 2010 Dynamo Charities Cup to raise money for those affected by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
“This is one of the few times in the history of the Dynamo we’ve broken away from the traditional jersey and worn a different jersey,” Dynamo president Chris Canetti said. “Another neat thing about this Sunday is that the energy in the stadium will be offset by wind energy, which will also be helping the environment. We look forward to being conscious in this area moving forward and working with our friends at Greenstar Recycling.”
The Dynamo, Greenstar Recycling, and MLS W.O.R.K.S. Greener Goals are focusing Sunday’s game around sustainable energy efforts, trying to “make purple the new green.” Through MLS W.O.R.K.S. and the Bonneville Environmental Foundation, the energy used to host the match will be offset by a renewable energy certificate using 100 percent wind sources. The first 5,000 fans will receive a free T-shirt version of Sunday’s special jersey, courtesy of Greenstar Recyling, with the T-shirt made from organic cotton. Eco-tip guides and seed packets will also be distributed. As at all Dynamo games, recyclable items will be accepted at Greenstar SoccerFest and at purple bins placed throughout the stadium.
“We’re very excited about this night, to have these jerseys, and to have our colors speak to the public,” Greenstar Recycling CEO Matt Delnick said. “We’ve always been involved in recycling initiatives in North America, but we’ve also been involved with Keep Houston Beautiful and other similar opportunities. The reason we do that is that the environmental initiatives go well beyond just what Greenstar does. There are many things in our communities we can be involved in.”
Houston Mayor Annise Parker and Houston Sustainability Director Laura Spanjian are scheduled to attend Sunday’s game and honor top performers from the Houston Green Office Challenge at halftime.
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As part of their commitment to environmental sustainability, the Dynamo have already worked with Greenstar Recycling to recycle more than 1 ton of mixed recyclable materials, enough to save 17 trees, eliminate 587 pounds of air pollution, conserve 4,077 kilowatt hours of energy and 6,953 gallons of water, and save 3 cubic yards of landfill.
The Houston Dynamo are a Major League Soccer club that has won two MLS Cup championships in its first five seasons and represented the United States in international competition four consecutive years from 2007-10. For more information, log on to www.HoustonDynamo.com or call (713) 276-7500.
