[00:00:12]
IN OUR BUSY SCHEDULES TO TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK THE DYNAMO IN ALL, ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS THAT MADE THE WORLD CUP AND CERTAINLY FAN FEST SUCH AS SUCCESS.
UM, WE ALL ENJOYED A SAFE, JOYFUL OCCASION.
THE FAN FEST WAS AT CAPACITY AND REALLY, QUITE FRANKLY, WE WERE ABLE TO BE AS SUCCESSFUL AS WE WERE BECAUSE THE DYNAMO AT NO COST OPENED THEIR DOORS, AND WE HAD CAPACITY CROWDS AT THE SHELL STADIUM ON A REGULAR BASIS.
UH, SO WE'RE HERE TODAY TO KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING.
I'VE ALREADY SAID PUBLICLY THAT I BECAME A SOCCER FAN.
I SAID THE WORLD CUP AND THE FAN FEST DID SOMETHING THAT WAS THE IMPOSSIBLE.
AND THANK YOU TO DYNAMO REPRESENTED BY JESSICA THIS MORNING, THEIR CEO FOR FURTHERING THE PLEASURE, THE JOY OF HOUSTONIANS AND OUR REGION TO NOT ONLY ENJOY SOCCER, BUT ALSO SPREAD SOCCER.
THEY HAVE MADE ME A SOCCER FAN.
THAT'S THE REASON I'M EXCITED TO BE HERE TODAY.
GOT OUTTA MY COAT AND TIE TO LOOK LIKE A GENUINE SOCCER FAN, WHICH I HAVE BECOME.
AND TO ANNOUNCE AN EFFORT BY THE DYNAMO, THE CITY PARTNERING TO FACILITATE THE DISTRIBUTION OF 10,000 FREE TICKETS.
COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ IS WITH ME BECAUSE HE IS CERTAINLY REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DISTRICT WHERE THE FAN FEST WAS SUCCESSFULLY HELD.
AND I COULD SPEND THE WHOLE MORNING TELLING YOU HOW APPRECIATIVE I AM OF THE SPORTS AUTHORITY, THE HOST COMMITTEE START NAMING INDIVIDUALS, BUT IT WAS CERTAINLY A SPECIAL TIME TO BE A HOUSTONIAN AND A REALLY, REALLY SPECIAL TIME TO BE A SOCCER FAN IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
OUR GUESTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD HAVE NOTHING BUT GREAT WORDS FOR OUR FRIENDLINESS.
THE EFFICIENCY OF ALL OUR DEPARTMENTS, ALL HANDS ON DECK.
OUR AIRPORT PERFORMED, METRO PERFORMED.
I CAN GO ON AND ON, BUT WE DON'T WANNA SLOW DOWN.
THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS THAT DID NOT HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO EVEN FAN FEST 'CAUSE OF ITS CAPACITY EXPERIENCES.
SO THIS MORNING, UM, I'M GONNA LET DYNAMO AND JESSICA AND DIESEL AND DAVID AND OTHERS EXPLAIN THE OPPORTUNITY FOR HOUSTONIANS THAT HAVE NEVER BEEN TO A SOCCER GAME TO GET A FREE TICKET.
WE'RE WORKING ON THE PROCESS THAT'LL BE USER FRIENDLY, GET THE TICKETS TO OUR COMMUNITY CENTERS IN SOME OF THE AREAS ACROSS HOUSTON.
AND CERTAINLY AS WE REPRESENT HOUSTON, WE UNDERSTAND THERE ARE AREAS WHERE YOUNG PEOPLE, YOU SEE THEM PLAYING SOCCER AND THEY NEVER DREAMED THAT THEY'D GET TO GO TO A DYNAMO GAME.
I THINK THIS IS JUST A FIRST STEP OF REACHING OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND MAKING PROFESSIONAL SOCCER AVAILABLE TO RESIDENTS ACROSS HOUSTON.
UH, WE CAN GO IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER OTHER THAN JESSICA.
WHY DON'T YOU TELL US, UH, THE CONCEPT AND THE OPERATIONS, AND I WANT YOU TO LET MR. SIEGEL AND EVERYONE CONNECTED WITH THE DYNAMO TO KNOW THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON WANTS TO PARTNER WITH YOU AND, UH, HELP HOUSTONIANS.
SO LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, JESSICA NEIL, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THANK YOU, MAYOR WHITMEYER, THANK YOU TO THE, THE CITY OF HOUSTON TEAM TO, AS, AS THE MAYOR MENTIONED, THE HOUSTON HARRIS COUNTY SPORTS AUTHORITY, THE HOST COMMITTEE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ, WHAT AN INCREDIBLE RUN.
39 DAYS THIS TOURNAMENT LASTED FROM THE FIRST DAY TO THE LAST DAY.
SHELL ENERGY STADIUM WAS BUZZING.
AND THE MOST IMPORTANT THING, AS THE MAYOR MENTIONED IS THAT IT DOES
[00:05:01]
NOT STOP.WHAT WE SAW IS JOY AND CONNECTIVITY AMONGST COMPLETE STRANGERS.
WE SAW MEMORIES BEING CREATED BY FAMILIES AND PEOPLE THEY NEVER KNEW.
PEOPLE THEY MIGHT HAVE NOTHING IN COMMON WITH EXCEPT THE LOVE OF THE GAME.
THAT MIGHT BE A BRAND NEW LOVE OF THE GAME, WHICH IS MOST EXCITING.
UM, REGARDLESS OF, UH, SOMEBODY'S CONNECTIVITY TO THE GAME, THESE, THESE TEAMS, THE HOUSTON DYNAMO AND THE HOUSTON DASH ARE THE PROFESSIONALS SOCCER TEAMS IN HOUSTON.
AND WE HAVE BEEN HERE FOR OVER 10 AND 20 YEARS, RESPECTIVELY, WITH THE DASH AND DYNAMO CONNECTED TO OUR COMMUNITY, SERVING OUR SCHOOLS, SERVING OUR YOUTH CLUBS.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY HAS THE CHANCE TO EXPERIENCE IT LIVE.
IT IS NOT THE SAME AS A WORLD CUP MATCH, AS YOU ALL CAN IMAGINE.
AND WE WOULD CERTAINLY NOT TRY TO IMPLY THAT IT IS, BUT IT IS SPECIAL, IT IS LIVELY, IT IS FAMILY FRIENDLY, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE ARE NO BARRIERS AND THE, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE HAS MADE SURE THAT'S POSSIBLE AT SCALE.
SO RIGHT NOW ON HOUSTON DYNAMO.COM, THERE IS A LINK THAT WILL TAKE YOU TO, UM, AN OPPORTUNITY TO UPCOMING GAMES.
UM, NEXT YEAR WHEN THE MLS CALENDAR SWITCHES, WE WILL HAVE LESS GAMES IN THE SUMMER, WHICH WOULD BE WONDERFUL.
UM, BUT WE HAVE TONS OF OPPORTUNITIES TO COME.
RIGHT NOW IT'S TWO FREE TICKETS AS LONG AS THERE ARE AVAILABILITY.
UM, THERE, THE, THE WEBSITE ONLINE IS VERY EASY TO DO.
HOUSTON DYNAMO.COM, DYNAMO OR DASH GAME OF YOUR CHOOSING.
UM, AND TO THE MAYOR'S POINT, WE WILL ALSO PROVIDE PRINTED TICKETS TO COMMUNITY PARTNERS, UM, SO THAT IF THE ONLINE EXPERIENCE DOESN'T WORK FOR SOMEBODY IN ANY, FOR ANY REASON, THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO USE A, A PRINTED TICKET.
SO THE POINT IS NOT TO, TO HAVE ANY OBSTACLES OR BARRIERS, AND WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE EVERYBODY COME OUT.
ON MY WAY OVER HERE, THE, THE UBER DRIVER WAS TELLING ME ABOUT WHAT HE THOUGHT ABOUT THE WORLD CUP, AND I SAID, HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO A GOOD DYNAMO GAME? AND HE SAID, NO.
HE SAID, I DON'T THINK THE SEATS ARE VERY COMFORTABLE.
AND I, HE DIDN'T KNOW THAT WE REPLACED THE SEATS ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO.
AND I SAID, WHY DON'T YOU COME OUT, UM, JUST ONCE AND EXPERIENCE? IF IT'S NOT FOR YOU, THAT'S FINE.
WE, YOU KNOW, WE UNDERSTAND IT'S NOT ALWAYS FOR EVERYBODY, BUT WE THINK WE HAVE SOMETHING SPECIAL AND WE'D LOVE TO MAKE IT AVAILABLE.
SO THANK YOU AGAIN TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
UM, OUR TEAM WILL MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS AS SEAMLESS AS POSSIBLE, UM, AND THAT NO, NO STONE IS LEFT UNTURNED IN MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE CAN EXPERIENCE THE BEAUTIFUL GAME LIVE, ESPECIALLY IF THEY HAPPEN TO BE NEWLY CAPTIVATED AS, AS THE MAYOR ALLUDED TO BY THIS SPORT, BECAUSE IT'S INCREDIBLE.
I JUST WANT TO COMMENT THAT SOCCER, OBVIOUSLY, AS WE'VE WITNESSED, IS CONTAGIOUS.
AND SO THANK YOU TO THE DYNAMO TO CONTINUE TO SPREAD THIS EXPERIENCE CITYWIDE.
AND NO ONE PLAYS A MORE VITAL ROLE THROUGHOUT THE EAST, UH, SECTOR OF HOUSTON, UH, THAN COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ.
I'VE SEEN HIM AT THE SOCCER, UH, MAGNOLIA PARK AND MOODY PARK AND ACROSS, UH, YOUR DISTRICT.
SO YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY A MAJOR ROLE IN, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP AND WHAT YOU CAN EXPRESS, WHAT IT MEANS AND, AND HOW YOU WANT TO SEE IT CONDUCTED.
UH, FIRST I DEFINITELY WANNA THANK THE MAYOR, THE HOST COMMITTEE, AND THE EAST DYNAMO FOR MAKING THIS POSSIBLE.
UH, IT WAS AN HONOR TO HOST A, UH, FIFA FANFESTS IN EAST DOWNTOWN.
AND AS THE MAYOR MENTIONED, UH, IT WAS EXCITING.
WE HAD THOUSANDS OF FOLKS COME IN FOR 34 DAYS.
UM, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC SAFETY WAS ALWAYS A PRIOR PRIORITY, BUT QUITE FRANKLY, UH, THE COMMUNITY CAME TOGETHER.
THEY LIFTED UP HOUSTON, THEY WELCOMED THE WORLD TO THE, TO THE EAST END AND THE EAST SIDE OF HOUSTON.
UM, I ALSO WANT TO JUST TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO HIGHLIGHT A PROGRAM THAT WE WERE ABLE TO KICK OFF THAT JESSICA ALSO PARTNERED WITH US AS WELL, IS, UH, KICK OUT, UH, VIOLENCE BOLLITO INITIATIVE.
THIS INITIATIVE WAS, UH, ALSO ON THE WAVE OF, UH, THIS HIGH WAVE OF THE, UH, WORLD CUP WHERE WE CURRENTLY SERVE, UH, RESIDENTS IN THE, UH, PECAN PARK AREA AT IN GROUND UP PARK, AND ALSO IN THE NORTHEAST PART OF MY DISTRICT AT HERMAN PARK, WHERE WE PARTNER WITH DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT ALSO WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
WE HAVE OVER 70 KIDS THAT ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGED.
AND THIS IS THE LEGACY THAT, THAT, UH, THE, THE HOST COMMITTEE WAS SPEAKING OF.
HOW DO YOU MAKE SURE THAT YOU GROW THE GR THE GROW THE GAME, RIGHT? YOU BRING FOLKS INTO, UH, SOCCER, THE SOCCER WORLD, BUT THEN HOW DO YOU CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE YOU CONTINUE THIS LEGACY, UH, WITH OUR YOUNG FOLKS? AND SO TODAY'S ANNOUNCEMENTS OF 10,000 TICKETS, UH, FOR FAMILIES, UH, YOUTH SOCCER CLUBS, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, IS ANOTHER WAY THAT WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE THIS MOMENTUM BY MAKING THIS GAME ACCESSIBLE.
UH, PERSONALLY, I'VE, I'VE BEEN AT A SUPPORTER SECTION, UH, FOR YEARS.
UM, AND THE DYNAMO GAMES ARE EXCITING.
THEY'RE SIMILAR TO THE FAN FEST EXCITEMENT THAT, THAT PEOPLE WERE EXPERIENCING.
AND SO IT'S A GREAT WAY TO NOW, UH, LIFT UP ANOTHER HOUSTON TEAM HERE, UH, WITHIN OUR, WITHIN OUR GREAT CITY.
UM, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRIDGE OUR COMMUNITY, UH, TO THE SPORT, ENSURING THAT HOUSTONIANS CAN SHARE THE JOY OF THIS BEAUTIFUL GAME.
I'M ALSO EXCITED THAT OUR FAMILIES WILL STAND, UH, WILL BE, UH, WILL BE IN THE STANDS AND CONTINUE THE LEGACY TOGETHER.
I WANNA SHARE A FEW WORDS IN SPANISH, UH, FOR THOSE THAT ARE HERE
[00:10:33]
OUT VIOLENCE, FAMILIAS, FOOTBALL, FOOTBALL, UH, NANDO, UH, AGAIN, MAYOR, THANK YOU DYNAMO, THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT THIS IS MORE ACCESSIBLE TO OUR COMMUNITY AS WELL.
WE THINK, UH, THIS HOST COMMITTEE, WE THINK SPORTS STARTING THE, UH, EVERY CITY DEPARTMENT PERFORMED AT HIGH LEVELS.
I SEE OUR PARKS DIRECTOR, ALLEN, UH, KENNETH ALLEN, WHO'S GONNA MAKE CERTAIN THAT SOCCER CONTINUES.
ITS, ITS EXCITEMENT ACROSS OUR CITY PARKS.
WE HAVE A VERY VIBRANT, UH, SOCCER PROGRAM THROUGH THE CITY AT MOODY PARK, AND IT WILL BE CONTINUING ACROSS ALL OF OUR CITY PARKS.
AND SO, SOCCER, UH, EXCITEMENT LIVES ON THANK YOU TO THE DYNAMO.
YOU PLAY SUCH A CRITICAL ROLE IN, UH, THIS IS THE FIRST STEP IN MAKING TICKETS AVAILABLE TO THOSE OTHERWISE WOULD NOT GET TO EXPERIENCE IT.
WE THINK LAURA REAL, UH, SPORTS AUTHORITY, UH, REPRESENTATIVE, UH, IT'S JUST A GREAT DAY FOR HOUSTON.
UH, WE NEED DAYS LIKE TODAY BECAUSE WE ARE MEETING OUR CHALLENGES ACROSS THE CITY, AND ONE IS MAKING SOCCER AND SPORTS AVAILABLE TO ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS.
ANY QUESTIONS? IF NOT, I HOPE Y'ALL WILL SAY SOCCER.
SOCCER NOT ONLY LIVES ON, BUT IS STRONGER THAN EVER AND THE BEST DAYS ARE IN FRONT OF US.
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO DO THIS PROGRAM? WELL, WE WERE APPROACHED BY THE DYNAMO, WHO ARE OUR PARTNERS.
LIKE I SAID, FAN FEST OVERFLOW WENT TO SHELL STADIUM.
IT WAS FREE, IT WAS SAFE, AND IT WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE.
SO WE WERE CONTACTED BY DYNAMO.
HOW CAN WE PARTNER? BECAUSE ONE OF MY REAL, WORKING WITH COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ AND OTHERS, HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE REACH THOSE THAT MIGHT NOT BE REACHED OTHERWISE? IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO REPRESENT ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS, NO QUESTION ASKED.
WE REPRESENT ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS.
WE KNOW FROM BEING IN THE COMMUNITY THAT, THAT ARE YOUNG PEOPLE AND FAMILIES THAT WILL NEVER GET TO EXPERIENCE A PROFESSIONAL SOCCER GAME.
THEY SAW IT ON TV DURING THE WORLD CUP.
UH, SO HOW DO WE CONTINUE THAT EXCITEMENT? IT'S GOOD FOR HOUSTON.
NOT ONLY QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUE, BUT IT'S GOOD BUSINESS.
AND, UH, I CAN, YOU KNOW, IT WAS PRETTY WELL DOCUMENTED.
YOU DID A GREAT STORY TODAY TO TALK ABOUT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT, THE COLLABORATION WITH THE COUNTY.
YOU KNOW,
AND SO THIS IS ONE MEASURE THAT'S GONNA ALLOW US TO, SO I'M, I'M EXCITED.
YOU KNOW, I COULD BE AT A HUNDRED PLACES THIS MORNING.
I COULD BE IN A COAT AND TIE THIS MORNING.
UH, BUT THIS IS WHERE WE WANTED TO BE, TO LET EVERYONE KNOW WE DON'T WANT THE JOY TO SUBSIDE.
AND IT'S NOT THROUGH AN EFFORT LIKE THIS.
AND THERE WILL BE OTHER MEASURES.
[00:15:01]
WE'RE, WE'VE GOT OUR THINKING CAPS ON.WE'VE CAPTURED THE, THE IMAGINATION OF HOUSTON THROUGH THE WORLD CUP.
SO WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING, WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING ACTIVELY TODAY TO GET THE WOMEN'S WORLD CUP IN 2031.
AND WE'VE BEEN GIVEN A LOT OF ENCOURAGEMENT BY THE FIFA ORGANIZATION.
NO DOUBT OUR FAN FEST WAS THE BEST IN OUR COUNTRY, MAYBE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.
IT WAS SAFE, IT WAS FRIENDLY, IT WAS HOT.
BUT THIS IS AN AMAZING, I MET THE DELEGATIONS FROM AROUND THE WORLD BEFORE AND CERTAINLY AFTER THE GAMES THEY REPORT BECAUSE OF OUR DIVERSITY AND BECAUSE OF OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY, EVERY TEAM THAT PLAYED IN HOUSTON FROM OVERSEAS FELT LIKE THEY WERE THE HOME TEAM.
NOW, THAT'S NOTHING TO TAKE LIGHTLY.
THE OVERSEAS, WHETHER YOU'RE MOROCCO, CONGO, ENGLAND, NETHERLANDS, YOU NAME IT, THERE ARE ENOUGH HOUSTON RESIDENTS AND THEY IDENTIFIED WITH THOSE OUTSTANDING ALL STARS ON THEIR TEAM.
MASSEY, RONALDO, YOU NAME IT, THEY FELT LIKE THEY WERE PLAYING AT HOME THE MARCHES.
IT WILL LIVE FOR YEARS TO COME.
I THINK IT MADE A PERMANENT IMPACT ON OUR COMMUNITY, CERTAINLY IN THE AREA OF SOCCER AND SPORTS.
NOW, THE DYNAMO, THIS IS THEIR SPECIALTY.
THIS IS THE BUSINESS THEY RUN, BUT THEY ALSO ARE IN THE JOY BUSINESS.
SO THEY RECOGNIZE THE EXCITEMENT WE VISITED ABOUT THOSE THAT WE WANNA BRING INTO THE STADIUM, YOUNG PEOPLE, AND THEY STEPPED UP TO THE PLATE.
AND THAT'S THE REASON I'M IN MY DYNAMO
AND I INTEND TO GO TO THOSE GAMES.
THE COUNCIL MEMBER HAS INVITED ME TO MAGNOLIA.
I CAN GO ACROSS HIS DISTRICT AND OTHERS AND SEE THE SOCCER FIELDS AND THE SATURDAY MORNING LEAGUES.
SO, HECK, IT'S A GREAT DAY FOR HOUSTON TO HAVE THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.
I HOPE Y'ALL WILL SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS.
AND WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU? ALRIGHT, THE CITY MADE A LOT OF IMPROVEMENTS TO GREEN SPACES SURROUNDING THE AREA.
AND HOW DOES THAT, UH, GOING FORWARD EFFECT HOW FANS CAN ENJOY THE GAMES IN THE FUTURE? WELL, YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE THE DATA IN FRONT OF ME.
I HEARD IT ALL YESTERDAY, THE NUMBER OF TREES, THE STREETS THAT WERE PA BUT LET ME EMPHASIZE SOMETHING.
MUCH OF THIS WAS ALREADY IN THE SYSTEM TO IMPROVE HOUSTON'S QUALITY OF LIFE AS I WAS IN ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING.
AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SIDEWALKS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PAVEMENT, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SHADES, COOLING AREAS.
I WOULD INTERRUPT THE MEETING AND SAY, I DON'T WANT ANYTHING PREPARED FOR OUR WORLD CUP VISITORS THAT DOESN'T SUPPORT HOUSTONIANS.
AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN ARTICLES ABOUT, UH, THERE WAS GOING TO CREATE TRAFFIC CONGESTION AT WORK TIME.
IT'S JUST FRUSTRATING THAT THERE IS SUCH A POSITIVE STORY THAT'LL BE, THAT'LL BE REPORTED.
I CAN YOU REMIND ME, I'M STANDING UP HERE SAYING, READ A CHRONICLE TODAY.
UH, BUT THERE'S A, A GREAT STORY ABOUT, UH, THE BENEFITS.
AND I'M JUST HERE TO TELL YOU, WE WERE NOT ONLY WELL PREPARED, EVERY DEPARTMENT WE MET REGULARLY IN MY OFFICE, PUBLIC WORKS METRO, ALL THE FIRST RESPONDERS, WE WERE READY.
AND THEN ALSO WE WERE LUCKY WE DIDN'T HAVE A MAJOR DISRUPTION OR INCIDENT.
MINIMAL, MINIMAL, UH, DISRUPTIONS IN TERMS OF YOU GET THAT MANY PEOPLE TOGETHER DRINKING HOT.
THEY WERE, IT WAS A JOYFUL ENVIRONMENT AT FAN FEST, AT THE WORLD, AT THE, AT THE GAMES, AT NRG, AT THE SHELL STADIUM.
UH, WE WERE PREPARED, AND I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH METRO, THE FIRST GAME THEY SAW, OH, WAITING IN LINE TO GET ON THE RAIL.
THEY HAD AN ALL TIME RECORD NUMBER OF PEOPLE USING RAIL.
SO THEY REARRANGED THE WAITING TO WHERE IT COULD BE IN A COOL ENVIRONMENT OR AT THE NRG UH, CONVENTION CENTER.
WE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE COST OF GETTING IN THE GAME, BUT WE MADE IT FREE WHERE WE WERE IN CONTROL AND HELD THE COST DOWN.
NO INCREASE IN, IN THE COST OF ITEMS AT VENDOR.
SO, UH, I, I COULD GO ON ON, IN FACT, QUITE FRANKLY, UH, WE HAD A GREAT REPORT YESTERDAY.
THE SPORTS STARTED, DID SPECTACULAR JOB.
THE NEW LEADERSHIP, JUAN GARCIA, UH, OUTSTANDING
[00:20:01]
RON WASH.SO WHAT'S IT GONNA DO? IT IMPROVED OUR QUALITY OF LIFE, BUT MOST OF THE ACTION WE TOOK WAS ALREADY IN THE PIPELINE, CERTAINLY PAVING OUR STREETS.
UH, IT, IT'S SO SILLY TO THINK THAT THE EMANCIPATION, HOMELESS SHELTER PLAYED ANY ROLE IN THE WORLD CUP THAT'S BEEN, THAT'S BEEN ON THE DRAWING BOARD FOR TWO YEARS.
I TRAVEL THE CITY EVERY DAY AND WE'RE GETTING NOTHING BUT CONGRATULATIONS ON A SUCCESSFUL WORLD CUP.
AND NOW IT GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEEK OUT MORE MAJOR EVENTS.
WE HAD ALREADY DONE SUPER BOWLS AND FINAL FOURS, AND THE, THE RODEO ITSELF IS A
THE GAMES WERE AT NOON, SO WORKERS GOT TO WORK.
WE'VE DEALT WITH, UH, CONGESTION AROUND NRG, BUT I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT OUR FIRST RESPONDERS FIRE, EMS POLICE COLLABORATION WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
SO IT'S, IT'S A, IT WAS A GREAT STATEMENT THAT HOUSTON CAN HANDLE WORLDWIDE EVENTS AND, AND THE BUZZES OUT THERE WORLDWIDE ABOUT HOUSTON, THEY WANT TO GO BACK.
ANYTHING ELSE? JESSICA? UH, JUST TO CONFIRM, IS TICKETS JUST FOR DYNAMO GAMES OR ARE WE INCLUDING DASH GAMES? NO, THANK YOU FOR ASKING.
IT IS, IT IS DYNAMO OR DASH? YES.
AND, AND, AND WHILE I HAVE YOU, IT, HOW DO YOU HOPE THIS, UH, AN EVENT OR PROMOTION LIKE THIS WILL INSPIRE FANS TO GET MORE BEHIND ONE OF THE ONLY PROFESSIONAL TEAMS THAT HAVE BROUGHT CHAMPIONSHIPS TO THIS CITY? YES, YES.
I THINK WHAT THE MAYOR JUST DESCRIBED, RIGHT, IS SO MANY PEOPLE FELT THE BUZZ, YOU KNOW, BUT HOW, HOW CLOSE WERE THEY TO BE ABLE TO GET TO THE GAME ITSELF, ESPECIALLY OUR FIRST RESPONDERS AND THEIR FAMILIES? I THINK ABOUT HOW A 39 DAY EVENT TAKES SO MANY PEOPLE AWAY FROM THEIR FAMILIES, AND HOW DO YOU FIND TIME TO, TO, TO SPEND TIME WITH YOUR LOVED ONES? AND I, THAT'S WHERE I BELIEVE SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT COMES IN AND, AND FILLS, YOU KNOW, UH, AN IMPORTANT, UM, OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO GATHER TOGETHER.
SO, UM, WE THINK THAT THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING.
THE, THE DYNAMO AND DASH HAVE PASSIONATE FAN BASES ACROSS THE, THE ENTIRE REGION.
UM, TO YOUR POINT, THERE'S A HISTORY OF CHAMPIONSHIPS WITH THE DYNAMO, UM, SEVERAL CHAMPIONSHIPS AND TITLES TO LEAGUE TITLES AND TO OPEN CUP TITLES.
WE WANT TO WIN ON AND OFF THE PITCH AND INITIATIVES LIKE THIS THROUGH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AND WITH, WITH THE SUPPORT OF CITY COUNCIL IS HOW WE WENT OFF THE PITCH.
BUT TRUST ME, WHEN I SAY WINNING ON THE PITCH HAPPENS TOGETHER AND WITH ALL HOUSTONIANS, WE, THERE'S NOTHING OUR TEAM WANTS MORE THAN TO SEE AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE WHO ARE EXCITED ABOUT THE BUZZ OF WORLD CUP.
THINK ABOUT I'LL, I'LL GO TO MY FIRST DYNAMO OR DASH GAME.
I'LL GO, I'LL TAKE MY FAMILY AND I'LL EXPERIENCE IT, AND THEN IT'S OUR JOB TO MAKE SURE THE EXPERIENCE IS SO MEMORABLE AND VALUABLE THAT YOU DO WANT TO COME BACK.