U.S. Soccer Supports Pandas

The U.S. team got a special thank you today from the Women’s World Cup local organizing committee for its visit to the Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Center and for U.S. Soccer’s $3,000 donation to the center. The team received a letter from Gu Jianming, the Chengdu Venue General Manager, that read in part…

“As entrusted by the Chengdu Municipal Government, the Chengdu Organizing Committee would like to express our gratitude and heartfelt wishes, and we appreciate your kind support to the giant panda protection cause. Meanwhile, we also see the great friendship between our two peoples, and will convey your donation regarding the caring and protecting of giant pandas to the Giant Panda Breeding and Research Center….we hope you can send our gratefulness to all the American people who are supporting and concerned with the giant pandas. We believe that with the care and support of all the peoples in the world including our fiends in the USA, giant pandas will surely be well protected…Wish you a joyful experience in Chengdu, and the best performance in this Women’s World Cup!”

As a thank you, each U.S. player also got a stuffed animal panda (mom and baby) as well as books on giant pandas.