FRISCO, Texas - In honor of the late Lamar Hunt, the operator and investor of both FC Dallas and the Columbus Crew, the two teams will play in the inaugural Pioneer Cup: A Tribute to Lamar Hunt, on Sunday, March 11, 2007 at Pizza Hut Park (5 p.m. CT). The Pioneer Cup, which will be played in Columbus next year, will serve as a fundraiser for each team's charitable foundation, with all net proceeds from the game donated to a local cause.

A Alumni Tribute Game between former players and coaches that were part of a Lamar Hunt owned team, including the Dallas Tornado, Kansas City Wizards, FC Dallas, and the Columbus Crew, will kickoff the activities at 3 p.m. on March 11. FC Dallas will also debut a commemorative circle patch with the initial "LH" on the right sleeve of the uniform, which will also be used during the MLS season. Mr. Hunt, who oversaw the creation of both Crew Stadium and Pizza Hut Park, passed away on Dec. 13, 2006 after a battle with cancer.

"The Pioneer Cup is an event that is near and dear to all of us at FC Dallas," said FC Dallas General Manager Michael Hitchcock. "We have a chance to honor our great leader and everything he's done for this sport that we all love, while raising much needed money for Dallas Scores and the Pioneer Soccer League, in his honor. We look forward to seeing all sports fans at Pizza Hut Park to help us pay tribute to a true sports pioneer, Lamar Hunt."

For the first edition of the Pioneer Cup, the FC Dallas Foundation has partnered with Dallas SCORES, a youth development program that inspires a lasting dedication to learning, healthy lifestyles, and community engagement among inner-city public school students. Dallas SCORES, an affiliate of America SCORES, uses a combination of soccer, creative writing and service-learning for students in a safe, constructive learning environment after school five days a week. Students that agree to make an equal commitment to creative writing workshops will participate in a soccer league, which will be re-named the Pioneer Soccer League in honor of Lamar Hunt.

"We are extremely excited to be named the charity of choice for an event honoring such a great pioneer," added Steve Christensen, founder and board member of Dallas SCORES. "Lamar Hunt's impact on soccer in North America is second to none. Having his name as well as FC Dallas attached to this event will go a long way towards impacting more children in the Dallas area."

Contributions may be made through a variety of means, including by naming your price for tickets to the Pioneer Cup as well as in exchange for sponsorship and marketing opportunities. Tickets for the game are available for a minimum contribution of $5 for endline seats or $10 for sideline seats, however fans may contribute any higher amount per ticket. FCD Hoops Nation members and season ticket holder may begin ordering their tickets through a presale from today through Saturday, Feb. 4. Parking for this event will be free.

As a point of reference, a $100 contribution would roughly cover the expenses of one child per year participating in the Pioneer Soccer League. Individuals or organizations that cannot attend and would like to contribute to this cause may do so through the online form found at www.fcdallas.net or by calling the FC Dallas office at 888-FCD-GOAL (888-323-4625). For sponsorship opportunities such as Presenting Sponsor or in-stadium signage, please call Matt McInnis 214.705.6777.

The winning team will keep the Pioneer Cup, while the losing side will donate $1000 to the other team's foundation. Fans will have an opportunity to bid on the game-worn jerseys of the players with all proceeds going to the Dallas SCORES Pioneer League cause.

Recognized as one of the greatest sports visionaries in American history, Lamar Hunt pioneered professional soccer in the United States. In 1967, Hunt became an original investor in the Dallas Tornado Soccer Club, in what was known initially as the United Soccer Association and then the North American Soccer League in 1968. A model franchise during its 14 years, the organization and its legacy of soccer disciples was an early catalyst in the development of the game, placing North Texas at the cutting edge of the American youth soccer market.

The Hunt family once again stepped to the forefront of U.S. soccer in 1996 by becoming a charter investor in Major League Soccer, and became original investor-operators of the charter teams from Columbus (Ohio) and Kansas City. Hunt made his greatest contribution to soccer in this country in 1998-99, when he made pro soccer history by funding the construction of the first soccer-specific stadium in the United States as the Columbus Crew opened their revolutionary facility. In 1999, he was awarded the National Soccer Hall of Fame Medal of Honor and saw the U.S. Open Cup Tournament renamed in his honor.

The Hunt family took over the operations of Dallas in 2003, and helped make Texas soccer history by breaking ground on the team's Pizza Hut Park, the 20,500 seat, state-of-the-art soccer-specific stadium in Frisco which became the first soccer stadium in the country built through a coordination of both private and public funds.