Featured image: Courtesy of Sons of Ben

When the Philadelphia Union host Portland Timbers at PPL Park on July 20, it will not only be a meeting of two of the best supported teams in MLS. It will be an occasion in which the Sons of Ben show again demonstrate how their efforts extend beyond support of the Union to support of the local community. Sons of Ben director of Marketing Dan Sullivan explains.

You may know the Sons of Ben as the boisterous supporters group behind the Philadelphia Union. What you may not know is that we are an organization rooted not only in supporting our team, but also in volunteerism and support of our local community.

When the Union host the Timbers on July 20, 2013 at 7:30pm, the Sons of Ben, in partnership with the Union, will show just how important our community is with the Ticket for Troops event. Every $40 we raise will provide one sideline ticket to the game, on-field recognition, and Union memorabilia for active members and veterans of the U.S. Military and their families through the Veteran Tickets Foundation.

The Union will match every ticket the Sons of Ben can raise money for with another ticket, thus allowing us to give pairs of tickets to those men and women who have put their life on the line for our freedom.

We ask for a minimum donation of $10.00, an amount we feel will help us provide the most tickets. Any money remaining after the event, in addition to money earned from sales of a special military themed scarf for the event, will go to a local veterans organization. The deadline for donations is July 7.

You don’t have to be a member the Sons of Ben to donate and we encourage all Union fans to participate. All you have to do is follow this link to the Sons of Ben TicketLeap page. If you are interested in learning more or about becoming a Sons of Ben member, please visit the Sons of Ben website.