DETROIT, Aug. 12, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
- Inspiring children will serve as mascots for Manchester
United's first Premier League match of the season, attend club's
soccer school, receive tour of Old Trafford and meet members of
first team and club legends
- Boys and girls are from Brazil, China, South
Africa, South Korea and
the United States, among
others
Chevrolet today announced it is hosting 11 children from around
the world in Manchester, England
this week to serve as mascots for Manchester United's Premier
League season opener on Saturday at Old Trafford.
The children – ages 10-13 from Brazil, China, South
Africa, South Korea and
the United States, among others –
are visiting as part of Chevrolet's "What Do You #PlayFor?"
campaign to bring football fans closer to the sport and spread the
power of play around the world.
"Enabling these children to live the dream of being on the Old
Trafford pitch with the Manchester United first team is an
unprecedented and dramatic way to celebrate our global partnership
with the club and our mission to spread the power of play around
the world," said Tim Mahoney, chief
marketing officer, Global Chevrolet. "Watching them walk onto the
pitch is sure to inspire football fans everywhere, and certainly
will be special for their families and friends, as well as everyone
at Chevrolet and Manchester United."
In addition to serving as mascots, the children will attend
Manchester United's famed Soccer School, meet club legends, receive
a tour of the Club's iconic Old Trafford stadium, and more.
"We are delighted to welcome such a diverse lineup of mascots to
Old Trafford," said Richard Arnold,
Manchester United Group managing director. "This is the first time
our mascots have travelled from such a wide range of countries and
the occasion truly demonstrates the Club's global fan base and
worldwide appeal. It is rare for 11 mascots to lead out the team,
and their inclusion shows both Manchester United and Chevrolet's
desire to mark this very special day."
The children were selected to serve as mascots due in part to
their love of the game, determination to overcome a variety of
challenges, and use play to realize anything is possible. The
opportunity to be a mascot is part of Chevrolet's "What Do You
#PlayFor?" campaign to bring football fans closer to the sport and
spread the power of play around the world. Each child's story is
featured at www.ChevroletFC.com.
Since announcing its partnership with Manchester United in 2012,
Chevrolet has used football to spread the power of play worldwide,
including donating nearly 1 million nearly indestructible balls
from the One World Futbol Project for use by more than 26 million
youth in 60-plus countries in Africa, Asia,
and the Americas.
Chevrolet also recently revitalized a pitch in Bandung,
Indonesia, on behalf of a local
organization that uses soccer to increase the quality of life for
people living with HIV and drug addiction. Chevrolet also donated a
pop‑up pitch and pickup truck and trailer to help transform
gang-ridden areas of Chicago into
places where children can play and learn valuable life skills.
To celebrate its new, seven-year Manchester United shirt
sponsorship, Chevrolet is inviting fans around the world to upload
photos of themselves wearing a digital version of the new shirt at
www.ChevroletFC.com. Chevrolet also recently released a video on
www.ChevroletFC.com featuring Manchester United players, legends
and fans paying homage to the history of the club's shirts. The
video has attracted more than 10 million views.
About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's
largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and
selling more than 4.9 million cars and trucks a year.
Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that
feature spirited performance, expressive design, and high quality.
More information on Chevrolet models can be found at
www.chevrolet.com.
About Manchester United
Manchester United is one of
the most popular and successful sports teams in the world, playing
one of the most popular spectator sports on Earth. Through our
136-year heritage we have won 62 trophies, enabling us to develop
the world's leading sports brand and a global community of 659
million followers. Our large, passionate community provides
Manchester United with a worldwide platform to generate significant
revenue from multiple sources, including sponsorship,
merchandising, product licensing, new media & mobile,
broadcasting and match day.
SOURCE General Motors