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WHEREAS, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds Soccer Club (SC) will be celebrating their 20th anniversary season in the City of Pittsburgh; and,
WHEREAS, as part of the gala, General Manager Kevin Johnston revealed a secondary logo, and announced the creation of a new Hall of Fame which will pay tribute to individuals who have been a great asset to the success of the Riverhounds SC and to the game of soccer; and,
WHEREAS, the first HOF induction ceremony will take place on Friday, July 12 and inductees will be honored during a halftime ceremony at Highmark Stadium July 13 with The Hall of Fame “Legends” game prior to the 7:00 PM kick-off, bringing together Hounds players from the team’s entire 20 year history; and,
WHEREAS, the Riverhounds were founded by Paul Heasley in 1998 and awarded to Pittsburgh on March 11, 1998 when they became the first professional team in Pittsburgh in 30 years; and,
WHEREAS, in 2007, the Riverhounds Development Academy was launched, led by current and recently retired professional players, providing technical training for boys and girls ages 3 to 18. The academy has since expanded to year-round training programs where they have partnered with several associations serving over 5,000 children and youth; and,
WHEREAS, prior to the 2016 season, the Riverhounds became the first USL club to present a signature beer, Golden Hound Ale, brewed by Pittsburgh-based Penn Brewery <https://www.revolvy.com/page/Penn-Brewery>. They have since partnered with Full Pint Brewery who created Pittsburgh Riverhounds Session Copper to be introduced in the 2019 Season; and,
WHEREAS, in 2018, the team unveiled new branding for the team by adding "Soccer Club" to the official team name and a new circular crest in the traditional black and gold colors of Pittsburgh incorporating iconic symbols of the city, including its bridges and rivers.; and,
WHEREAS, most recently, the team announced the expansion of Highmark Stadium to 5,000 seats where the club hosted its first-ever playoff game in front of a venue-record crowd to complete its 2018 season; and,
WHEREAS, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC will start their 2019 regular season on Saturday, March 16 in Tampa, Florida and host their first game at Highmark Stadium on April 13; and,
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NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby congratulate the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on their 20th Anniversary; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby declare, Tuesday, March 12, 2019 to be “Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC Day” in the City of Pittsburgh.