COLORADO RAPIDS TFAM UP WITH METRO-AREA HIGH SCHOOLS TO DESIGN TEAM MASCOT

The first-ever Colorado Rapids "Create the Mascot" contest incorporates youth and education by turning a young artist's dreams into reality. The Rapids have teamed up with 16 Denver Metro-area high school art departments to design the Division I soccer team's new mascot, ready for action at the Rapids' home opener, April 21 against the Dallas Burn.

"This contest is important for two reasons," said Rapids General Manager and Chief Operating Officer Richard A. Levine. "One, it demonstrates our commitment to success on a grass roots level, which would be impossible without the help from and interaction with the students of Colorado. Two, the mascot will be a focal point of our 'Soccer Celebration' motif - entertaining the fans before, during and after games, and at various functions around the state."

The deadline for entries is January 26. Schools participating in the contest include: Adams City, Arapahoe, Arvada West, Aurora Central, Bear Creek, Cherry Creek, Denver East, Denver North, Heritage, Horizon, Littleton, Manual, Montbello, Northglenn, Overland, and Smoky Hill.

For the winning entry, the Rapids will award the student an individual $500 scholarship, as well as a $500 grant for that student's art department. In addition, a local newspaper will carry a picture of the winning entry with a photo of the student artist in future mascot promotional advertising. The winner will also receive inaugural game tickets, and a special photo opportunity with the new mascot.

After the design is determined, the team will then ask the general public to help name the newest Rapid. A decision is expected by mid-March.

Students are given few directions on what the Rapids are looking for, thusly encouraging creativity. The only guidelines are to create a mascot that can be turned into a costume for a human, allow for free mobility and appeal to kids.

Penny Becker, fine arts teacher at Smoky Hill High School and a professional artist in Denver, believes that the contest is a great way to teach students about the communications potential of art, and how form and function can affect aesthetics.

"Through the contest the students are required to create enthusiasm for the sport and turn it into a visual project," says Becker. "Since we are bombarded with visual information, it is the designer's job in this case to make it all clear. It is also a chance for the students to see how art directly applies to their lives."

Colorado Rapids investor/operator Philip F. Anschutz, one of several prominent investors in the first-year league has emphasized the importance of community involvement. The "Create the Mascot" and "Name the Mascot" contests are two of many plans the team will implement in order to fulfill that goal.

Major League Soccer, financed by such investors as Anschutz, Virginia billionaire John Kluge, and NFL owners Lamar Hunt (Kansas City Chiefs) and Robert Kraft (New England Patriots), has more than $75 million in funds. The league also has multimillion dollar agreements with corporate sponsors AT&T, Budweiser, Kellogg's, Nike, Reebok, adidas, Puma, Umbro, Mitre and more. In addition, the, league has signed television agreements with ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and Univision that call for more than 60 games to be televised nationally.