NYCFC, An Update from Brad Sims

Dear Fans,

As our City—and many throughout our community—go through such difficult times, I want to start by wishing you, and your loved ones, health and well wishes from all of us at NYCFC. We recognize that many of you will have been personally impacted by this pandemic at this point, and we want you to know we are here, and committed to doing what we can for you and our community during this crisis.  

So much has changed since our last match. Our players, coaches and staff alongside our fellow New Yorkers are hunkered down, practicing social distancing, and following the guidance of the many incredible agencies that are working hard to keep us safe.

We thank everyone who is staying at home, but there are many out there who are on the frontlines. As a Club, we’d like to take this opportunity to give a special thanks to all frontline healthcare workers and first responders. These workers deserve an enormous amount of gratitude for their lifesaving work – we are humbled by their tireless efforts. And I’d be remiss not to mention that the advice we at the Club continue to receive from our amazing partners at NewYork-Presbyterian has been invaluable as we try our best to navigate a situation that has been unsettling for us all. 

We’d also like to thank everyone else working to provide essential services across our City and state—including those in law enforcement, fire prevention, grocery, construction, and many more. NYCFC joins the 7 p.m. chorus of support each evening applauding your courageous work.

We often say this, but it’s important to remember now more than ever that we are more than a team. We are a community; one community amongst many that make this amazing City the vibrant, diverse and passionate place we proudly call home.

While sports can seem trivial at a time like this, many of the lessons sports teach us are relevant: teamwork, bouncing back after adversity, and never giving in.

During this uniquely difficult period, the Club will continue to look for ways we can best support our local community. Last week, NYCFC announced our partnership with the New York Yankees to create a $1.4 million COVID-19 Disaster Relief Program for Yankees and NYCFC gameday staff. We’d like to say a big thank you to our gameday staff who are an important part of our team and make the experience at NYCFC home games so special. We can’t wait to see you all at a game in the future when it is safe to return.

Now, as another step towards supporting our local community, the Club will donate 100,000 meals directly to the South Bronx community. This contribution will build on the impactful work NY Common Pantry is already doing by providing critical resources to help continue delivering meals for people in the South Bronx. If you are in a fortunate place and want to contribute to help further NY Common Pantry’s work, you can see how to support here. 

During this time while most of us are at home, it is vital we all stay connected. Staying at home does not mean we cannot come together and support one another. We have created a resource hub—Stay Healthy. Stay Home.—to bring together first team players, staff and our incredible fans. The hub includes more on NY Common Pantry, educational materials for families, player workouts and more.

We are all hearing the news that the next two weeks in New York could be the most critical and difficult time period for us all. This will unfortunately touch all of us in a way we could have never imagined the last time we were together cheering on our team. Please stay safe, and again, I want to send well wishes to all of you in our NYCFC Family.

Best,

Brad