LA Galaxy and The Partnership for A Healthier America Team up for a Second Year in Support of “Drink Up” Initiative to Encourage Water Consumption Across Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES, September 19, 2017 /3BL Media/ - The LA Galaxy and the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA), a non-profit organization that works with the private sector to make healthier choices easier for busy parents and families, and an official partner of the club, are teaming up for a second year. The partnership will help bring water consumption awareness to Hispanic communities across east Los Angeles through Drink Up’s “H20 Claro,” campaign and various community events. Drink Up is powered by the Partnership for a Healthier America, lead by its honorary chair First Lady Michelle Obama. Expanding on last year’s partnership launch, brokered by AEG Global Partnerships, PHA and The LA Galaxy Foundation are again joining forces to host several grassroots and community events throughout the course of the 2017 MLS season as a way to motivate Angelinos to drink more water.

The first of these initiatives included a community clinic presented by Drink Up in support of Homeboy Industries, the renowned gang intervention, rehabilitation, and re-entry program, and the Los Angeles Community. On Sept. 8, PHA and the LA Galaxy hosted this community event featuring LA Galaxy staff members and players visiting Homeboy Industries for a day of service and soccer in partnership with Drink Up and the “H20 Claro” campaign. LA Galaxy volunteers attended lunch, went on a facility tour, and met with Homeboy’s trainees and staff members to discuss values and individual journeys. From there, LA Galaxy and Drink Up joined forces for a community clinic at the Los Angeles State Historic Park in downtown Los Angeles where Homeboy families and youth were able to partake in free soccer training as well as health and nutrition programming. Additionally, kids and adults in attendance enjoyed a special appearance by LA Galaxy midfielder Jaime Villarreal who presented Homeboy Industries with a 30-person suite to watch the club take on Toronto FC at the upcoming Sept. 16 match. The LA Galaxy will be celebrating Hispanic Heritage Night that evening, and Homeboy Industries will be the Community Partner of the match. The club will also debut a commercial featuring LA Galaxy player and Drink Up ambassador Rafael Garcia in the stadium on the night of the match, encouraging fans to drink more water more often. 

“I am extremely excited to partner with Drink Up, who align so closely to my values and have demonstrated a continued commitment to the Los Angeles community,” said LA Galaxy midfielder Rafael Garcia. “Being an athlete who grew up in Los Angeles, it is extremely important to me to continue to raise awareness for water consumption to our local community. I am looking forward to working with Drink Up to be a part of these efforts."

In addition to promoting youth soccer, LA Galaxy’s partnership with PHA highlights the positive impact the relationship has had on the success of the Drink Up campaign thus far. New data shows the Spanish-language media and advertising campaign “H2O Claro,” less than a year after its launch, is motivating Angelinos to be unstoppable by drinking more water. Among those who saw PHA’s “H2O Claro” campaign, 76 percent said it increased their consumption of water, according to data released by the Natural Marketing Institute. Health and hydration were primary reasons for drinking more water, and common themes from respondents included perceptions such as “Water is a very important part of a healthy body.”

“The LA Galaxy has been an invaluable partner in terms of helping us raise awareness for water consumption amongst soccer-loving Angelinos, a large number of whom are Hispanic,” said Blythe Thomas, chief communications officer, Partnership for a Healthier America. "H2O Claro was developed specifically for the east Los Angeles market with input from community leaders and residents. This input was invaluable. The results continue to demonstrate that drinking more water more often is part of the solution to feel strong and healthy – and to be unstoppable.”

Drink Up’s focus on five zip codes in east Los Angeles is part of a collective commitment to reduce calories from beverages 20 percent by 2025 made by the American Beverage Association and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. When that commitment was announced in September 2014, increased water consumption was presented as a key strategy toward meeting that goal and Drink Up was sighted as an initiative that could help address this need. The campaign was run in concert with key partners representing bottlers, water filters, fountains, reusable bottles, community groups and LA sports teams such as the LA Galaxy.

“This is a natural extension of our relationship with the Partnership for a Healthier America, and we are proud to support initiatives like Drink Up that bring awareness to important issues like water consumption,” said Robert Vartan, senior director, Global Partnerships at AEG. “This is a terrific opportunity for both our fans and our team not only to share in their passion for soccer but also to help spread the message to make water consumption a way of life in our communities.”

Since September 15, 2016, and continuing for at least the next two years, Drink Up is participating in a variety of community events, running paid media throughout Los Angeles, and partnering with local and regional community groups as well as professional sports leaders. Drink Up’s success is due in large part to its positive message that contains no comparative or negative references, no prescriptions for amounts of water to take and no support for any brands or products that are not water.

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ABOUT DRINK UP

Drink Up has more than 50 supporters including bottlers, filtered water companies, water bottle producers and fountain manufacturers. It is led by the Partnership for a Healthier America, which works with the private sector and PHA Honorary Chair First Lady Michelle Obama to make healthier choices easier for busy parents and families. For more information about PHA, please visit www.ahealthieramerica.org and follow PHA on Twitter @PHAnews.

ABOUT THE DATA

The Natural Marketing Institute (NMI) conducted quantitative market research surveys in June 2017 using in-person, street intercepts (10-minute survey; n=100). Respondents resided or worked in the following East LA zip codes:  90023, 90031, 90032, 90033, 90063. The survey included the following components: NMI Health and Wellness segmentation; awareness/effectiveness of the Drink Up Campaign (measured by ad recall and ad preferences); water consumption (for self and children if applicable); and demographics.

ABOUT LA GALAXY

The LA Galaxy is an American professional soccer club, based in Los Angeles that competes in Major League Soccer (MLS). It is one of the league's most-decorated clubs, having won the MLS Cup a record five times (2002, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2014)—the Supporters' Shield four times (1998, 2002, 2010, 2011), the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup twice (2001, 2005), and is one of just two MLS teams to win the  CONCACAF Champions' Cup (2000). For more information on the LA Galaxy, please visit www.lagalaxy.com.

ABOUT AEG

Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, AEG is the world's leading sports and live entertainment company. With offices on five continents, AEG operates in the following business segments: AEG Facilities, which is affiliated with or owns, manages or consults with more than 120 preeminent arenas, stadiums, theaters, clubs and convention centers around the world including The O2 Arena, the Sprint Center and the Mercedes-Benz Arenas; AEG Presents, which is dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performances, including producing and promoting global and regional concert tours, music and special events and world-renowned festivals; AEG Real Estate, which develops world-class venues, as well as major sports and entertainment districts like STAPLES Center and L.A. LIVE; AEG Sports, which is the world's largest operator of sports franchises and high-profile sporting events; and AEG Global Partnerships, which oversees worldwide sales and servicing of sponsorships including naming rights, premium seating and other strategic partnerships. Through its worldwide network of venues, portfolio of powerful sports and music brands and its integrated entertainment districts, AEG entertains more than 100 million guests annually. More information about AEG can be found at www.aegworldwide.com.

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