Jun 29, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Young fans hold a Philadelphia Union flag as players enter the field behind them before action against the New York Red Bulls at Talen Energy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

For the Philadelphia Union, sometimes it’s about more than soccer.

The team in conjunction with the Philadelphia Union Foundation held their fourth annual Cocktails and Cleats event last night. The event is to support the development of youth soccer in the Philadelphia area. Both players, technical staff, and front office staff were in attendance in a unique opportunity to mingle with fans and media alike.

The event was created four years ago as a way to thank donors for their support while also offering the club an opportunity to celebrate their past year’s accomplishments in the community. Because of the donations raised through Cocktails and Cleats, the Philadelphia Union Foundation is able to provide funding for various different programs such as Big Brothers/ Big Sisters, Fare & Square Food Market, Soccer for Success after-school soccer programs, mini-pitch construction, and other community endeavors.

It’s part of a large philanthropic arm of the Philadelphia Union in order to revitalize the Chester area along with the greater Philadelphia area. It’s a welcome sight from the team especially since soccer culture is about the entire community. Some of these developments like the mini-pitch construction project could end up helping the team in the long run as more kids are exposed to soccer at an early age.

The night kicked off with a cocktail hour during which fans could interact with players and the front office staff giving them a candid look at the club. It was a great time in which people could chat about the season or just talk freely with a professional athlete. While other teams do events like this, the Philadelphia Union took a unique spin by leaving things fully open instead of doing a question and answer panel or something of the sort. It was refreshing to see and as a fan, I welcomed the idea.

After the cocktail hour, there was a brief speech from the head of the Philadelphia Union Foundation before a rapid-fire auction conducted by Keegan Rosenberry, Chris Pontius, and the voice of the Union, Tommy Smyth.

I could listen to this voice all night @TommySmythESPN pic.twitter.com/X4HrQSYs8O — Chuck Booth (@Chuck_Sec215) November 11, 2016

From there, everyone moved into dinner which was followed by a short Q&A led by JP Dellacamera including Jim Curtin and Earnie Stewart (more on that later). They covered everything from the season to their MLS Cup picks, shocker, they both picked Toronto FC to win the cup. There was another auction in which things like a night out with a Philadelphia Union player and other various team related events before the night winded down with another cocktail hour for desert.

Last year’s net proceeds exceeded $125,000 for this event and judging by the attendance, the team likely matched or exceeded that number this year. About half the team was there along with most of the front office for what was truly a memorable night.

Editor’s note: Once I get the numbers on how much was raised this year I will update the story. Also, be on the lookout for more on the discussions that I had with players and staff in the next few days.