Twenty Yesler children and their parents attended the Western Conference Finals between the the Seattle Sounders and the Houston Dynamo soccer teams on November 30. The youth have been actively collaborating with Artist in Residence George Lee and his co-instructor Sumayya Diop on designs for the soccer goal posts at the new Yesler Community Park, set to open in 2018. Yesler’s community partner, the Rave Foundation, pulled out all the stops to thank the kids for their hard work. They were invited to take part in halftime festivities by displaying their artwork on the field. And of course they got to celebrate the Sounders’ 3-0 victory.

A key element of Yesler’s redevelopment is a new, nearly two-acre Neighborhood Park, expected to be completed next year.  Located in the heart of the neighborhood and adjacent to the Yesler Terrace Community Center, the intent of the park is to serve as gathering place for current and future residents of the neighborhood as well as people who live and work in the surrounding community.  

The Seattle Sounders FC’s RAVE Foundation is a major partner in the park development.  RAVE has established its presence at Yesler in the following ways:

•  Yesler Terrace Park will also be home to the first “RAVE Field,” a multi-purpose playfield designed to foster a culture of inclusive, pop-up, free play soccer 
• Offering an ongoing series of free soccer camps and clinics at Yesler, fostering important lessons in leadership, collaboration, and fun
• Accompanying each RAVE field, is the “GOALS for Art Program,” an 8-week after-school program to design the goals at each RAVE field.  Sounders FC’s All Star Goalkeeper, Stefan Frei, a passionate artist himself, participates in the program, spending time with youth at Yesler
• Providing dozens of free tickets to Sounders FC matches at several games throughout the year