NEW YORK– Major League Soccer today announced the finalists for the MLS WORKS Community MVP Contest presented by Wells Fargo. The Grand Prize winner, as voted by the fans, will be awarded a $10,000 donation for the charity of their choice and a trip to the 2014 AT&T MLS All-Star Game in Portland.

Fan voting is open now through July 25 on the MLS WORKS web site: www.MLSsoccer.com/CommunityMVP or by CLICKING HERE.

Fans may also vote by tweeting: “I vote for the @MLSWORKS @WellsFargo (insert club handle) #CommunityMVP” from 12 p.m. ET on July 24 through 12 p.m. ET on July 25.

The Grand Prize winner will be announced on Friday, July 25 at 2pm ET via twitter by @MLSWORKS.

The state of Washington is represented on the ballot by Terry Kegel, who recently launched the “West Seattle Cup.” (See video below.)

Terry Kegel

Right To Play/West Seattle Cup

Terry is a local Seattle resident and Kindergarten teacher at Alki Elementary School. He grew up playing competitive soccer all the way through college and beyond. While he loved this experience, he became enchanted with the idea of pick up soccer as a way of developing friendship and understanding of his fellow players. This culminated in him single-handedly producing a movie entitled “I Speak Soccer”, which premiered and won several awards at various film festivals. All funds received from the showings of the movie were donated to an organization called “The Right to Play”, who provide sporting opportunities to kids who would not otherwise be given this opportunity (at least $5000).

He then applied and received a grant from the Seattle Neighborhood fund for $9750 to produce the West Seattle Cup, which was run simultaneously with the beginning of the 2014 World Cup. This free tournament was focused on families in West Seattle (a diverse cultural neighborhood), with the theme “ we are all on the same team”. While goals were counted, the emphasis was not competition, but education, community building, and understanding of other countries and their people. Each parent/child team affiliated with a country of their choosing. As a pre requisite for participating, families were required to present a 21/2 minute presentation on their country to their opposition before each game. In addition, each team was provided with a tent where they were able to place items they wanted to let their fellow participants know about.

The entire cost of the event was about $13,000. The remaining funds were provided by local businesses and individuals. The West Seattle YMCA managed the event, and four players from the Seattle Sounders did presentations on their country of origin as well. Although unrelated to soccer, Terry is also responsible for the Alki Kindergarten film festival which has run for the past 5 years at the admiral theater and the past two Alki Elementary school bike to school days.

“MLS WORKS is committed to supporting the communities that support our clubs,” said JoAnn Neale, MLS Chief Administrative Officer. “These nominees are using the world’s game to make a difference on a local level and we are proud to share their inspiring stories as well as recognize their incredible accomplishments.”

In addition to earning the chance to win the Grand Prize of $10,000 for the charity of their choice, Wells Fargo has pledged a $1,000 donation to each of the other 18 finalists’ charities.

“Wells Fargo recognizes the importance and impact of everyday community heroes, and we are proud to support and celebrate the 19 winners of the MLS WORKS Community MVP Award,” said Jamie Moldafsky, Wells Fargo Chief Marketing Officer. “When you think about a Community MVP, you think about someone who goes above and beyond to help better the world around them – whether large or small, these selfless efforts can make a huge difference in strengthening our communities.”

The following is a complete listing of the 19 finalists and the programs they represent.

CLICK HERE to read more about each finalist’s work in the community.