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Chevrolet to Bring 11 Children “Mascots” to Saturday’s Manchester United Match

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Manchester United legend Quinton Fortune plays with Oscar, the 11th and final member of the Chevrolet Mascot Starting XI

Manchester United legend Quinton Fortune plays with Chevrolet mascot Oscar

For the third consecutive year, Chevrolet’s Beautiful Possibilities Program is giving 11 children from across the world a trip to England, where they will act as “mascots” at Manchester United’s match this Saturday versus Leicester City.

The 11 mascots range in ages from 8 to 13, and come from a diverse group of countries that includes China, Colombia, Mexico, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States. According to Chevy, they were selected because they “embody the spirit of play and have embraced football in a way that has changed their lives.”

As part of the experience, the children will meet with Manchester United players and the club manager, play with former soccer legends, attend Manchester United’s football school, and tour the club’s stadium in advance of Saturday’s match.


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“Football inspires the kind of passion in people around the world that can transcend cultural and political differences and unite communities in a transformative way, and for our children it is a game that teaches them that anything is possible through hard work and dedication,” said Tim Mahoney, Global Chevrolet’s chief marketing officer. “The 11 children chosen to be mascots this year truly embody the ‘never give up spirit’ that is at the core of everything we do at Chevrolet. We are proud to honor these remarkable children.”

On Saturday, the children will get to walk onto the Old Trafford pitch with Man U, with each player wearing a match shirt that features the name of their mascot. Then the players will take off their shirts and give them to the mascots, in keeping with one of the game’s time-honored traditions.

In addition to providing once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for selected children, Chevrolet’s Beautiful Possibilities program encourages youth participation in soccer in communities all over the world. To date, the bowtie brand has built 10 pitches in countries including China, South Korea, and the United States. It was during the pitch revitalization projects that Chevy worked with local nonprofits to find ten the child mascots. The 11th member of its Starting XI was chosen by fans, who selected a ten-year-old Mexican boy named Oscar.


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“Chevrolet’s mascot moment is becoming a fine tradition in the Old Trafford calendar, an initiative that complements what the club stands for,” said Manchester United Group Managing Director Richard Arnold. “While we are proud of our global reach, we recognize that when our players take to the field, children around the world dream big, hence Sir Bobby Charlton famously described Old Trafford as the ‘Theatre of Dreams.’

“Thanks to Chevrolet, these 11 children will have an unforgettable, inspirational day. Our players will be proud to walk through the tunnel with some of our youngest fans, wearing their names and sharing their pride for football.”