December 18, 2024 /3BL/ - Ahead of this year’s MLS Cup presented by Audi, AEG’s LA Galaxy and Major League Soccer (MLS) joined forces to give back to the local community through the 2024 MLS Cup Legacy Project.

On December 5, 2024, the 2024 MLS Cup Legacy Project unveiled a refurbished space at the East Side Riders Bike Club (ESRBC) community center in Huntington Park, CA, which works to get kids off the street and provide them with a safe place to play after school hours.

The event included remarks from Jan Mirman, Senior Vice President, MLS Community Engagement, Tom Braun, President & COO, LA Galaxy and John Jones III, President & CO-Founder, ESRBC, with LA Galaxy alumni and MLS Greats Cobi Jones and Robbie Keane. East Side Riders Bike Club was also presented with a $10,000 donation to support the organization’s after-school program and to launch a new soccer program for the participants.

The refurbished space at the East Side Riders Bike Club will benefit approximately 500 kids annually through the center’s after school programming, and has been created to empower youth, support families, and address root causes of gang involvement.

Recognizing that juvenile crime and gang activity peak during after-school hours, MLS and the LA Galaxy are providing soccer equipment to help launch a new soccer program at the ESRBC Huntington Park Community Center to help encourage after-school participation and provide opportunities for kids across the Huntington Park area to be introduced to and play the sport of soccer.

Consisting of fresh paint, shelving installation and bike area enhancements along with LA Galaxy branding, this room renovation will reinforce community pride and identity. The East Side Riders Bike Club in Huntington Park serves 20-25 kids daily, five days a week with activities that promote education, creativity and health, and this project’s impact will extend beyond the Huntington Park center and will benefit hundreds of youths annually across multiple communities.

The 2024 MLS Cup Legacy Project reinforces Major League Soccer’s commitment to be a force for good in the communities where we live and play our games, and it’s the goal of this impactful initiative to leave a sustainable legacy of wellness, creativity and mentorship.

A charter club in the history of MLS, the LA Galaxy have always been committed to giving back to the local community and will continue to support after-school programming at the community center that combines education, creativity, wellness, and mentorship to empower youth and provide alternatives to risky behaviors. Supported by the five-time MLS Cup champion LA Galaxy, the East Side Riders Bike Club plans to establish its first youth soccer team, giving local children the chance to participate in organized sports and build teamwork skills.