RAPIDS ANNOUNCE 2001 SEASON AWARD WINNERS

Spencer Takes Honda MVP, Budweiser Scoring Championship;
Hart and Martinez Also Honored

DENVER (Friday, September 28, 2001) - Forward John Spencer captured two post-season awards and Wes Hart and Chris Martinez collected one each as the Colorado Rapids presented their end-of-season honors at a ceremony last night.

Media members who regularly cover the team voted Spencer, who completed his first season with the Rapids in 2001, the team's Honda Most Valuable Player. The Honda MVP is awarded to the player whose presence made the biggest impact on his team's overall play during the regular season.

In addition, Spencer took home Budweiser Scoring Champion honors after scoring 14 regular season goals and adding seven assists for a team-high 35 points. The Budweiser Scoring Champion is an annual award given to the player who accumulates the highest point total during the MLS regular season. Major League Soccer awards two points for each goal and one point for every assist.

Colorado native Chris Martinez was named the 2001 Defensive Player of the Year. Martinez, the only player on the squad to start every game in the regular season, was selected by a vote of the media. Leading the team in minutes played with 2189, Martinez was recognized for his stellar work in shutting down some of the top scoring threats in the league in 2001.

The 2001 New York Life Humanitarian of the year was presented to Wes Hart. Hart, who fought his way back from a devastating achilles injury that limited him to only five appearances, was honored for demonstrating exemplary community involvement. The only award given that does not recognize a player for his actions on the playing field, the New York Life Humanitarian of the Year award goes to the player who goes above and beyond the call to contribute to his community. The award is the second consecutive New York Life Humanitarian of the Year honor for Hart.

PAST WINNERS:

	Honda MVP		Defensive Player	Budweiser Scoring Champion
1996	C. Henderson		Denis Hamlet		Jean Harbor		
1997	Marcelo Balboa		Marcelo Balboa		Chris Henderson
1998	Ross Paule		Marcus Hahnemann	Paul Bravo, Wolde Harris
1999	Jorge Dely Valdes	Peter Vermes		Jorge Dely Valdes
2000	Marcelo Balboa		Marcelo Balboa		Junior Agogo
2001	John Spencer		Chris Martinez		John Spencer

           New York Life Humanitarian of the Year
2000	  Wes Hart		        2001      Wes Hart	

RAPIDS AND GORDON BIERSCH BREWERY RAISE FUNDS FOR NEW YORK CITY POLICE AND FIRE FOUNDATIONS

Team Awards Presentation, Check Presentation to Marcus Houston Foundation Highlight Year-End Party for Fans, Media

DENVER (Friday, September 28, 2001) - The Colorado Rapids Community Care Foundation and Gordon Biersch Brewery teamed up to raise over $3,000 at the Rapids' season-ending party last night to benefit the families of police and firemen who lost their lives in the World Trade Center tragedy of September 11. All proceeds from the evening will go to the New York City Police Foundation and the New York Fire Department Safety Foundation.

The event, hosted by the WB2 morning weather anchor Amy Freeze, also served as the Rapids' 2001 season year-end awards ceremony, where awards were given out to the team's Honda MVP (John Spencer), Budweiser Scoring Champion (Spencer), Defensive Player of the Year (Chris Martinez), and New York Life Humanitarian of the Year (Wes Hart).

Also at the event, the Colorado Rapids Community Care Foundation continued to give back to the community by presenting a check to Colorado University running back Marcus Houston in the amount of $2,000 for his "Just Say Know Foundation." The two foundations will partner up in a program called "I Go To College," developed by Houston, that aims to inspire children to go to college.

Fans and media were invited to the event, which was open to Rapids fans of all ages. In addition to the night's presentations, Rapids players were there to meet fans and sign autographs. For more information on the Colorado Rapids Community Care Foundation, please call Annie Vinton at 303-299-1575.

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