By Bryan James – President, Sons of Ben ||  Photo Courtesy: Paul Rudderow via Flickr

Locals don’t talk about Lamar Hunt the same way they talk about Walter Bahr or other Philadelphia soccer legends, but for the second time in pro soccer history, Mr. Hunt is one of the reasons why the area has a team. The Atoms were founded by Philadelphia construction mogul Thomas McCloskey in 1973 at the urging of Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Tornado owner Lamar Hunt during a Super Bowl. Years later, the impact would be two-fold.
[..]

CHESTER, PA (December 13, 2008) – Today, Major League Soccer (MLS) Philadelphia 2010 and the Sons of Ben, the Major League Soccer Philadelphia supporters association, were joined by Chester Mayor’s Chief of Staff Thomas Moore to deliver a $2,501 check and 600 pounds of food from the Sons of Ben’s second annual “Help Kick Hunger” canned food drive to the Bernardine Center in Chester, Pa. The Bernardine Center is a non-profit organization that distributes food and supplies to low-income Chester residents.
[..]

Dear Sons of Ben,

Please begin collecting canned foods and monetary donations as we prepare our second annual donation to the Bernardine Center in Chester. The Center serves the needy about a mile away from our stadium.

[..]

State agrees to chip in for Rivertown

Highlights from the press conference:
[..]

The Sons of Ben came together to donate a total of 561 pounds of food and $1,500 in cash to the Bernadine Center in Chester, PA. The Honorable Wendell N. Butler Jr., Mayor of Chester, was on hand for the presentation. The Bernadine Center is experiencing a shortage of food this holiday season and we are proud to help them try and attain their goals. We hope this is the first step in a long-term relationship in our efforts to do more for Chester then simply coming down on game day.
[..]