Amid these unprecedented times, the Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) partnered with every professional sports team in Southern California, as well as UCLA and USC, for a public service announcement encouraging fans to join them in practicing social distancing to slow the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).
The Los Angeles Lakers were represented by Kyle Kuzma in the #LATogether video. Other athletes to take part include LAFC midfielder Eduard Atuesta, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler, L.A. Galaxy midfielder Jonathan dos Santos and Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff, among others.
“One of our Club pillars at LAFC is to be a Force for Good in the community of Los Angeles. It is our duty to use our platform to work with Mayor Garcetti, Governor Newsom and public health authorities to make sure the right messaging about this virus is out there so our fans can understand it and know how seriously to take this situation,” LAFC director of digital & content Will Walsh said in a statement provided to LakersNation.com.
“Even though we’re not practicing or playing matches, we still play a vital role in the Los Angeles community by lending our voice to show people how to fight this virus, flatten the curve, and keep our local businesses afloat during this time.”
#LATogether https://t.co/tDdt2PEBrh
— Matthew Moreno (@MMoreno1015) April 6, 2020
“We tried to think of something we could do that would have the most powerful impact on the community. A PSA video that unifies all of the Los Angeles professional teams, as well as USC and UCLA, speaks volumes. For a moment in history as momentous as this, we needed to rise above sports and our rivalries to come together for our community. We all collectively represent Los Angeles, and we all hope that this statement encourages each of our fans to do their part to fight during this time.
“We are fortunate to have a good relationship with all of the teams throughout Southern California, so getting everyone on board was relatively easy. What really laid the groundwork for this was in February, LAFC hosted a meet and greet at Banc of California Stadium for the digital, video, and social teams in the L.A. area. That was where we got to know each other on a more personal level. Aside from the opportunity to meet our peers at the different teams and leagues in the area, that set the scene for future collaboration on a big project like this.”
In addition to organizing the star-studded video, LAFC raised over $5,000 for Los Angeles based charities battling the coronavirus last week when it hosted the L.A. Charity FIFA 20 Challenge, an e-sports rivalry match-up against the Galaxy.
LAFC also teamed up with the LAFC Foundation and Legends to donate fresh fruits and vegetables to their community partner, Union Rescue Mission.