BBVA Compass Dynamo Charities Cup Will Get National Audience in Its Effort to Benefit Hurricane Harvey Relief

HOUSTON, Sept. 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The ninth annual BBVA Compass Dynamo Charities Cup will be broadcast nationally for the first time in an effort to help raise as much money as possible for this year's nonprofit beneficiary: the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund established by Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Harris County Judge Ed Emmett.

BBVA Compass and the Dynamo have set a goal of raising $100,000 from the event, the organizers announced today, and tickets are now on sale. The BBVA Compass Dynamo Charities Cup is an annual exhibition match in which the Dynamo take on a team from outside of Major League Soccer, with proceeds benefitting a local nonprofit organization. This year, the Dynamo will host top Mexican club Cruz Azul at 8 p.m. CDT on Thursday, October 5, at BBVA Compass Stadium.  

"The BBVA Compass Dynamo Charities Cup is an excellent tradition that we continue to build every year. This year's version takes on a more meaningful purpose as we look to support our community in these difficult times," said Dynamo President Chris Canetti. "We hope this event can exemplify to the world what it means to be Houston Strong. It's going to be exciting and impactful."

The BBVA Compass Dynamo Charities Cup marks the two organizations' second wave of activities in support of Hurricane Harvey relief. The bank, whose holding company is based in Houston, donated $250,000 directly after Harvey, and will match up to $250,000 more that it is raising from its customers and employees. The Dynamo, Major League Soccer and MLS WORKS committed $1 million to relief efforts last week.

"We will do everything we can to help Houston rebuild and create opportunities for it to heal and get stronger," said BBVA Compass CEO Onur Genç. "It is a great city with a bright future, and it was amazing to see the hearts of all Houstonians beating at the same pace as one team. But we all know there will be good days ahead and there will be some bad days for our friends and our neighbors. We're here to provide full support, and we want everyone to come out and join us at BBVA Compass Stadium to lift up this city that has given us so much."

The BBVA Compass Dynamo Charities Cup will be televised nationally for the first time in its nine-year history, airing throughout the United States on Univision Deportes Network, the most-watched U.S. Spanish-language cable sports network.

"Univision Deportes is proud to be part of the ninth-annual BBVA Compass Dynamo Charities Cup as part of our commitment to the Houston community during these difficult times," said Univision Deportes President Juan Carlos Rodríguez. "Soccer has always been a game that brings people together and we look forward to delivering fans live coverage of the match while helping to make a difference."

Prior to kickoff of the BBVA Compass Dynamo Charities Cup, fans will be treated to a small-sided special celebrity match between Univision Deportes' All-Star team and Dynamo Legends, led by Houston's all-time leading scorer Brian Ching and featuring Dynamo legends such as Dwayne De Rosario and Brad Davis, among others. The two squads will face off in a seven-on-seven match starting at 7 p.m. CDT and will be part of UDN's pre-match show.

"I'm excited to take the field with my old teammates and represent the Dynamo one more time and to be able to help raise money to help our fellow Houstonians who were affected by the hurricane," Ching said. "I know that Univision Deportes is putting together an 'All-Star' team, but this is our home and even if it's a friendly, they'd better be ready to compete when they step on the field with the Dynamo!"

BBVA Compass and the Dynamo also will organize a series of community service events during the week leading up to the match. Additional fundraising avenues will include a month-long charity auction through the club's Dash Auction App platform. The auction will launch on Monday, Sept. 11, featuring autographed memorabilia and unique experiences from throughout the soccer world.

Tickets for the BBVA Compass Dynamo Charities Cup are available for purchase to the general public now, starting at $30, and are included for Dynamo Season Ticket Members. Non-Season Ticket Members may purchase tickets online at www.HoustonDynamo.com, by calling 713-276-GOAL or at the BBVA Compass Stadium ticket office.

Founded in 1927, Cruz Azul have been one of the most popular and most successful clubs in Mexico for 90 years. La Maquina have won the Liga MX championship eight times and are six-time champions of North and Central America (CONCACAF).

Cruz Azul is brought to Houston through a promotional partnership with Sports Marketing Monterrey as a part of the MoneyGram SocioMX tour.

On the pitch, Cruz Azul are led by goalkeeper and captain Jesús Corona, who has been a regular starter for the Mexican National Team for more than a decade. Midfielder Christian Giménez has made more than 225 appearances for the club and his 72 career goals across all competitions are the sixth-most in the club's history.

This year's match marks the third time that a Liga MX side has featured in the BBVA Compass Dynamo Charities Cup. The Dynamo defeated CF Monterrey 2-1 in the inaugural Charities Cup in 2009 and triumphed over Santos Laguna 4-0 in 2015. The Dynamo are 4-3-1 all-time in the Charities Cup.

ABOUT THE HOUSTON DYNAMO
The Houston Dynamo are a Major League Soccer club that has won two MLS Cup championships and four conference championships in its first 11 seasons and qualified to represent the United States in international competition six times. The team trains in the Houston Methodist Champions' Field at Houston Sports Park (HSP), the premier training facility in Southeast Texas, and plays at BBVA Compass Stadium in downtown Houston. For more information, log on to www.HoustonDynamo.com or call (713) 276-7500.

ABOUT BBVA COMPASS
BBVA Compass is a Sunbelt-based financial institution that operates 651 branches, including 337 in Texas, 89 in Alabama, 63 in Arizona, 61 in California, 45 in Florida, 38 in Colorado and 18 in New Mexico. BBVA Compass ranks among the top 25 largest U.S. commercial banks based on deposit market share and ranks among the largest banks in Alabama (2nd), Texas (4th) and Arizona (5th). BBVA Compass has been recognized as one of the leading small business lenders by the Small Business Administration (SBA) and ranked 5th nationally in the total number of SBA loans originated in fiscal year 2016. Additional information about BBVA Compass can be found at bbvacompass.com, by following @BBVACompassNews on Twitter or visiting newsroom.bbvacompass.com.

ABOUT UNIVISION DEPORTES
Univision Deportes is the multimedia sports division of Univision Communications Inc. (UCI) and includes UDN, the No. 1 Spanish-language sports network in the U.S. Univision Deportes' portfolio of rights includes 17 of the 18 teams in Liga MX, the Mexican National Team, the U.S. Men's & Women's National Teams, Major League Soccer, Copa MX, Copa Centroamericana, Copa América, CONCACAF Gold Cup, CONCACAF Champions League, international friendlies, select matches from Liga de Ascenso in Mexico, Portuguese First Division, Dutch First Division, FC Barcelona TV and Bayern Munich TV, Mexico's Campeón de Campeones and SúperCopa, and Formula 1. Univision Deportes is also the exclusive home to shows such as Premios Univision Deportes, Solo Boxeo, Zona NBA, Republica Deportiva and Contacto Deportivo, the highest-rated Spanish-language sports studio show in the U.S., and delivers comprehensive coverage across platforms on all the latest from the NBA, NFL, MLB, and world of boxing.

ABOUT DYNAMO CHARITIES
Dynamo Charities is a 501(c)(3) organization and the charitable arm of the Houston Dynamo. It believes in using the power of the Dynamo and the sport of soccer to support the Houston community. For more information, log on to HoustonDynamo.com/Charities or call (713) 276-7533.

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SOURCE BBVA Compass

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