How Aurora FC Makes a Difference in Community

With two undefeated seasons, and the continued work toward many more championships, the women’s pre-professional soccer club Minnesota Aurora FC already provides the community with the opportunities to experience some amazing sporting events. But, alongside their soccer achievements, Aurora FC works hard at supporting their community and different organizations that share their values.

Aurora FC is a women-led soccer club that understands what it means to be an active member of their community. Jillian Davis, VP of brand marketing and communications of Minnesota Aurora FC, has been with the group since last fall, and already, she has worked for and witnessed the many ways in which the group helps their communities.

“Our unofficial tagline is ‘By community for community’. What we try to do is make sure that we put into place support systems for community organizations, causes that we care about, and also that we are creating pathways for people who may not have had opportunities in the past to come and work in sports, or play in sports, or whatever that might be.” Davis said.

Not only does Aurora FC work hard as a team to continue to find success in soccer, but they also work hard behind the scenes to provide opportunities for those who may not have the resources to access them. Davis emphasizes that, while their first objective is making goals on the field, they also have many ongoing projects to help them make their goals in fulfilling their community.

One of the ways they support their communities is through their multiple theme nights that they host. Each theme night centers around a different community and highlights their story through art and storytelling.

“We’re going to have four theme nights this year, and some of them center on specific identities, for example there’s an indigenous peoples night, and for each of these theme nights we have worked with an artist from the Minneapolis-St. Paul area to create custom piece of merch that’s aligned with that theme, we’ll see a bit more promotion of those items, and storytelling around why we chose those artists, how they’re aligned with our mission and our values, and just some really cool, really beautiful T-shirts and posters, things like that,” Davis said.

Through the combination of arts, sports, and the platform of Aurora FC, different communities get a chance to share their story with others. In this, attendees also get a chance to see different communities that they may not have heard about before but identify with. Together, people can be united together through the theme nights in soccer, art, and community.

This June, the theme night will be Pride, and it focuses on highlighting the Minneapolis and St. Paul LGBTQ+ community. Here, one can enjoy a warm environment of soccer, smiles, and scarves made by a local artist.

“We’ve done Pride night for the last couple of seasons, and it’s a very popular theme night for us. We’re thrilled to support and build community around the Pride community in Minneapolis St. Paul, so we have an artist who identifies as a part of the LGBTQIA community, and she has designed a scarf for us, and we will be talking about how we got to know her, how she’s involved with Aurora, and then that piece will be available for purchase,” Davis said.

Even more, Aurora FC makes sure that the groups that they work with align with their values and missions. Davis describes their “vetting process” that researches the groups that they work with to make sure that they are working toward similar objectives.

“In the past we’ve worked with Avenues for Youth, different organizations that support LGBTQIA youth and communities across the metro, so there will be a lot of chances for people to interact with organizations that maybe they were not aware of before. We are hoping to give those organizations a bigger platform, and get them in front of more people, and also as always create a safe space for people to come and watch an incredible game of soccer while we celebrate Pride,” Davis said.

Aurora not only brings communities to the field, but also goes out into the community to share inspiration. Davis highlights her recent experience speaking to students at a Minneapolis public school about how to prevent bullying. She recalls witnessing the impact of their group through their words and visual representation of successful women in the sport’s industry.

In addition to speaking to students, the club also provides educational avenues for people to pursue. They currently offer a PA program that supports the educational trade of public announcers in sports so that people are granted the opportunity to learn the skills to become a PA. They also offer mentorship for those interested in learning about videography and photography in sports media.

If one is interested in seeing firsthand some of the incredible movements Aurora FC is known for, some specific events coming up include:

• Minnesota Aurora Public Announcer Class | Tuesdays -June 4th | St. Paul MN
• Aurora Vs Rochester FC | Thursday June 6 | Eagan, MN
• Aurora Soccer Camp | June 10-12 | Eagan, MN
• Aurora Vs Chicago City FC and Pride Night | Saturday June 22 | Eagan, MN

Overall, Aurora FC makes strides both on the field and in their community by continuously working toward new goals. Everyone is encouraged to attend a game and share memories and stories within its welcoming community.

If you are interested in supporting the club, Aurora FC is always welcoming people. Feel free to visit the website at www.mnaurora.com to learn more about community events or job opportunities.

Minnesota Aurora FC Pride Night vs. Chicago City FC
June 22, 3:00 PM
TCO Stadium, Eagan
https://am.ticketmaster.com/vikings/ism/QVVSR002