Los Angeles Galaxy to play charity game for those affected by California wildfires

David Beckham and the Los Angeles Galaxy may have been eliminated from MLS Cup Playoff contention, but that isn't stopping from scheduling games fro the month of November.

The Galaxy's next match will be a charity game against local soccer club Hollywood United FC on Sunday November 4th. The charity friendly will be hosted by the two clubs as well as the Herbalife Family Foundation and will be played at teh Galaxy's home field--The Home Depot Center on the campus of California State University - Dominguez Hills at 5 p.m. on Sunday, November 4.

All proceeds, including donations collected on the day of the game, will go to the American Red Cross and The Salvation Army to aid in their efforts to assist those affected by the wildfires. One hundred percent of th eproceeds will go towards the relief effort, according to Galaxy President and General Manager Alexi Lalas. Tickets for th ematch will be $20 for general admission with the exception of alimited number of luxury seats availabe for $60. All firefighters will receive free admission.

The Herbalife Family Foundation will be underwriting this match so taht ticket sales can go directly to their wildfire relief fund while proceeds from the foundation's own fundraising efforts will be combined with this effort.

The Herbalife Family Foundation is a non-profit organization that was established in 1994 to enhance the quality of children's lives by creating programs and supporting nonprofit organizations in the community that feed at-risk children. The foundation also responds to natural disasters by establishing special funds, as it did for victims of the tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes, and wildfires.

In addiiton to Herbalife, Red Cross and the Salvation Army will have collection booths set up on the stadium's main concourse and volunteers will be stationed at each of The Home Depot Center entrances collecting additional contributions.

Major League Soccer fans that are unable to attend the match can find more information on how to contribute to the relief effort online by visiting www.lagalaxy.com.

A silent auction will also be set up during the game by teh Los Angeles Gaalxy Foundation. The auction will feature autographed Galaxy memorabilia as well as items contributed by Hollywood United including a signed guitar from Vivian Campbell of Def Leppard, a "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" script signed by Michael Douglas,and a "Without a Trace" script signed by star Anthony LaPaglia.

Cobi Jones, an American soccer icon who was recently honored by the Galaxy because of his decision to retire this year, will join English international David Beckham and US National team captain and LA Galaxy player Landon Donovan as they face local club Hollywood United, a group of members from the film, music and television industries, as well as a number of past soccer legends. Some of the stars expected to take on the Galaxy are actors Anthony LaPaglia, Jimmy Jean-Louis, Costas Mandylor, musicians Steve Jones and Vivian Campbell, former World Cup stars Frank Leboeuf, Richard Gough, Joe-Max Moore, Eric Wynalda, as well as Galaxy President and General Manager Alexi Lalas, Galaxy legend Mauricio Cienfuegos and many more special guests.

This charity match will be the first since the Galaxy's Major League Soccer season was cut short by a single goal scored by the Chicago Fire last Sunday. However, the Galaxy will be back in action starting this Thursday when they return to training before the charity match and has scheduled four friendlies to be played in four different countries as part of a postseason tour (see my next post for details).

Click here for more details regarding the charity match.