COLUMBUS – Columbus Crew today announced details for the annual Fan Appreciation Night, presented by EASE Logistics, during the Crew’s match against the New York Red Bulls at Lower.com Field this Saturday, Oct. 1 [7:30 p.m. ET / Bally Sports Ohio, Bally Sports App (Stream) / 1460 ESPN, 971TheFan.com (English); ColumbusCrew.com (Spanish)].
Standing Room Only tickets remain for the match as the club will reach a sell-out on Saturday – setting a new, single-season Club record dating back to the Club’s debut in 1996. Remaining Standing Room Only tickets are available at columbuscrew.com/tickets.
Saturday marks the final opportunity during the 2022 regular season for Crew fans to catch the Black & Gold at home. The first 15,000 fans inside Lower.com Field on Saturday will receive a pair of Crew sunglasses from EASE Logistics. Additionally, all Season Ticket Members will receive a 20 percent discount at the Crew Shop while all fans inside Lower.com Field will be able to enjoy $2 off all non-alcoholic beverages, and fans 21+ will receive $2 off alcoholic beverage purchases.
In a critical match for the Club in its desire to return to the postseason, the Club has a number of activities scheduled to show appreciation to Crew faithful. All fans who scan a ticket for the match will be randomly selected to win prizes including: a package from Levy Restaurants for food and beverage for the 2023 season; Crew jerseys; a PS5 digital code for FIFA 23; four tickets to Faceoff on the Lake at FirstEnergy Stadium; plus many more prizes.
Prior to the match, the Club will host a reception for more than 600 Season Ticket Members who have been with the Crew for over 20 years. The reception will include food and beverages, and the group will be recognized at halftime.
In advance of the match, Crew fans of all ages are invited to join the lively March to the Match. In a Black & Gold showing through the downtown Arena District and ending in Astor Park, the march provides an opportunity to capture the intense build-up to each home contest. Supporters are encouraged to meet up at Battelle Plaza – the main rally point – beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET and departing for the stadium at 6 p.m. ET. Individuals from Adaptive Sports will serve as the Grand Marshalls for the march.
As a reminder, the Arena District DORA is activated three hours before every Crew home match and extends to Nationwide Boulevard into Astor Park until midnight Eastern Time. The DORA provides additional downtown, matchday experience opportunities for Black & Gold supporters, with additional details available at arenadistrict.com/dora.
All fans in attendance on Saturday are invited to the Community Plaza beginning at 6 p.m. ET to partake in various fan-focused activities including Nationwide Kick & Win, Lower.com Soccer Skee-Ball, and Scott’s Yard Games including cornhole, Giant Jenga and Soccer Pong. Additionally activating on the Plaza will be Pathways Financial Credit Union, AARP and Adaptive Sports. Fans can enjoy beverages from the SpeakEASEy Bar while enjoying music from DJ Joe Michalski.
During National Hunger Awareness and Action Month in September, the Crew have teamed up with EASE and Mid-Ohio Food Collective for a canned food drive to raise money and collect food to eliminate hunger in Central Ohio. Crew fans attending Saturday’s match can drop off a canned food item at the AEP Gate, located on the southeastern corner of Lower.com Field. Information on other ways to give in the fight to eliminate hunger, including donating online, can be found here.
A select Season Ticket Member will serve as the Honorary Captain and the Hometown Hero will be Jonathan Moore, a member of the Nordecke. The Hard Hat Hero will be a representative from Adaptive Sports, while representatives from EASE Logistics will serve as the Coin Toss Captain and take part in the Ceremonial First Kick. The national anthem will be performed by Ryan Jenkins.
Fans at Lower.com Field on Saturday looking for ways to support can do so via the Columbus Crew Foundation’s 50/50 Raffle benefiting Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Tickets will be available in-stadium or via ColumbusCrew.com with a special offer of 96 tickets for $25.
Following the match, players will autograph mini-balls and kick them out into the stands for the fans. Additionally, Season Ticket Members will be randomly selected to win match-worn tops from players in a "Shirt Off Our Backs" moment.
Additional information on the Crew’s match day can be found here.
Rounding out the full weekend of soccer action, Columbus Crew 2 will play host to Toronto FC II at Historic Crew Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 2 at 5 p.m. ET in the MLS NEXT Pro Eastern Conference Final. Also returning to Historic Crew Stadium will be the “Buck-A-Brat” ($1 bratwursts) deal available to fans in attendance on Sunday. Single-match tickets are available for as low as $10 for Season Ticket Members and $20 for Partial Plan Holders via their Account Manager, and $30 for the general public via Ticketmaster.
