Major League Soccer and Wells Fargo announced the 26 Community MVPs who were selected for making a positive impact on their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, including FC Dallas’ Community MVP Heather Canterbury.
Frisco Fastpacs Executive Director Heather Canterbury delivers meals to all 72 Frisco Independent School District campuses for more than 1,400 children to ensure they do not go hungry when school is not in session. During the pandemic, Canterbury and her team of volunteers worked around the clock to ensure that Frisco ISD students still received their meals even though they weren’t attending classes in person.
“It is no secret that community needs in 2020 have been at an all-time high, especially in the realm of food insecurity. Heather and the entire team at Frisco Fastpacs have been working tirelessly on the frontlines through the COVID-19 pandemic to continue ensuring that no child goes hungry when school is not in session. This is especially important during this era of virtual learning,” commented Brooke Leverette, Manager, FC Dallas Foundation and Community Relations.
Canterbury organized meal distribution sites at school campuses across Frisco. Families who qualified were able to collect their meals through a contact-free drive-through pickup sites to receive their meals.
Canterbury has doubled-down on fundraising efforts for Frisco FastPacs in order to provide meals to local students who desperately need assistance in this challenging time. As a thank you to Canterbury’s leadership, FC Dallas and Toyota partnered up to donate meals to Canterbury and Frisco FastPacs volunteers for their service.
“With so many people and groups doing hard, important work in Frisco for the community, I’m of course humbled to have been recognized from among them,” Heather Canterbury says.
COVID-19 has put every community non-profit into a tailspin of unexpected need and logistics challenges, and we are all trying our best to be agile and rise up. The challenges for Frisco Fastpacs were no different; we had to quickly multiply and amplify our ability to serve children, and the results was over 75,000 meals provided to 1,350 students during the pandemic. We are lucky to be part of a community that responds so strongly to take care of one another.”
The MVP Program
Fans throughout the soccer community had the opportunity to nominate themselves or individuals who have provided critical services. These types of services include healthcare professionals, social workers, teachers, first responders, and many other essential workers keeping our communities resilient and safe. To learn more about each Community MVP, please visit MLSsoccer.com/
The work doesn’t stop there. Major League Soccer is dedicated to addressing important social issues and improving communities where we live and play our games. Through MLS WORKS, the League’s social responsibility platform, Major League Soccer and its clubs seek to enrich the lives of those in need across the United States and Canada. To learn more visit MLSsoccer.com/MLSWORKS
Through the 2020 MLS WORKS Community MVPs Program presented by Wells Fargo, $65,000 will be donated to charity on behalf of each Community MVP, one representing each MLS club, for going above and beyond to serve their communities during these challenging times. Each Community MVP will receive a donation to a 501(c)(3) charity of their choice, a customized Adidas MLS jersey and an MLS Adidas 2020 NATIVO XXV Official Match Ball.
Leverette says that organizations like Frisco Fastpacs are the backbone of our community. It’s groups like these who prop us up in times of need by providing critical services to keep our community resilient.
Canterbury says being named the FC Dallas Community MVP was unexpected but in a good way. She shares,
“That makes it very special because it means that major community partners are aware of and approving of the work that Frisco Fastpacs is doing. This kind of awareness will help more people learn how we serve Frisco kids in need. Being recognized by Major League Soccer and FC Dallas is also a great confirmation to our staff, board, volunteers, and donors…that Fastpacs is on the right path and are strongly supported by the Frisco community.”
Lifestyle Frisco is very proud to call Heather a friend and to call Frisco Fastpacs a nonprofit partner. We applaud FC Dallas, Major League Soccer, and Wells Fargo for building this program to continue to acknowledge the work and give back to our community.
