LOS ANGELES (CNS) — The Los Angeles Football Club will conduct a sports equipment drive at Saturday evening's game against Real Salt Lake as part of its Month of Giving.
Fans can place new and gently used sports equipment in collection bins outside of Banc of California Stadium's northwest, north, northeast and southeast gates from 6-8:15 p.m. The equipment will be donated to local youth organizations at the game.
LAFC will also conduct Pride Night at Saturday's game. The first 10,000 fans will receive Rainbow sunglasses. Pride Night merchandise will be available for purchase. The team fan group known as 3252 Independent Supporters Union will celebrate with rainbow smoke just as it did during Pride Night in 2019.
Retired NBA center Jason Collins will serve as the honorary falconer. In 2013, Collins came out as gay, becoming the first active male athlete from one of the four major North American professional team sports to publicly do so.
One of the team's four falcons is released before the start of each game for a pregame flight at the center of the field, hunting a lure of the opponent's crest.
The team is advising fans with tickets to the sold-out game to arrive early as LAFC is holding its first fan fest of the 2021 season. Discounted drinks will be available on Christmas Tree Lane adjacent to Banc of California Stadium and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum from 3:30-7:30 p.m. There will also be games, prizes and music played by a DJ.
LAFC (5-4-3) enters Saturday's play fifth in Major League Soccer's 13- team Western Conference, two points ahead of sixth-place Real Salt Lake (4-3-4) which has played two fewer games. LAFC has won three of its last four games, including a 1-0 victory at Real Salt Lake on July 3.