10,000 Books, Ten Little Libraries to be Donated on Friday in Partnership with Children’s Book Bank
PORTLAND, Ore. (December 8, 2021) – As the host team for the 2021 MLS Cup on Saturday, the Portland Timbers are collaborating with MLS WORKS, the League’s social responsibility platform, to give back to Portland with a community service project centered on literacy.
The Timbers and MLS will donate 10,000 books through the Children’s Book Bank (CBB) of Portland that reflect the cultural needs of the children and families that they serve. MLS Commissioner Don Garber and Portland Timbers owner Merritt Paulson will participate in the event.
As part of the event on Friday, Dec. 10 at 2:30 p.m. PST, volunteers from the Timbers and MLS will pack gift bags filled with books and perform virtual readings. Timber Joey, the popular mascot of Portland’s MLS club, will personally build ten Little Libraries that will be painted by club staff before being strategically placed in high poverty areas of Portland so children have access to books in their own neighborhood. The Timbers have committed to restocking the Little Libraries annually.
Among the other participants on Friday will be MLS Greats and former Timbers Liam Ridgewell and Vytas Andriuškevičius. MLS Greats Network is the official alumni group of MLS.
The books donated by MLS and the Timbers will align with CBB’s program, A Story Like Mine, which prioritizes books with diverse representation to better meet the needs of the children the organization serves. Studies confirm that children and families engage more with books when they can see themselves reflected in the pages they read.
To Cover the Community Event:
Friday, Dec. 10 at 2:30 p.m. PST – Children’s Book Bank, 915 NE 7th Ave, Portland
Contact: Katie Simons, Timbers PR, ksimons@timbers.com
Rights-free Video and Photo assets from the event will be available after its conclusion
ABOUT MLS WORKS:
Major League Soccer is dedicated to addressing important social issues and improving communities where we live and play our games. Through MLS WORKS, the League’s social responsibility platform, Major League Soccer and its clubs seek to enrich the lives of those in need across the United States and Canada. To learn more, visit MLSsoccer.com/MLSWORKS and follow @MLSWORKS on Twitter & Instagram.
