Union will celebrate annual Chester clean-up and tree planting; April 19 vs. Atlanta United FC to feature snake sculpture carving
Philadelphia Union today announced its Greener Goals Initiatives as part of celebration of Earth Day on April 22 ahead of the club’s home match against Atlanta United FC on Saturday, April 19 at 7:30 p.m. (ET), presented by Subaru of America.
Waterfront Clean-up and Tree Planting
Union defender Nathan Harriel and midfielder Indiana Vassilev will join Philadelphia staff members, volunteers and fans for the club’s annual clean-up and tree planting along the waterfront in Chester and Barry Bridge Park on Tuesday, April 15. Volunteers will be put into groups equipped with gloves, trash grabbers, and TOMMY carts, provided by Richard S. Burns & Company, to collect trash along the waterfront in Chester. The second part of the day will include tree planting through CRC Watershed in Barry Bridge Park. Volunteers will be planting 30 native, mature trees and assist with invasive plant management around existing trees at the site. Subaru of America volunteers will also be on-site.
Snake Sculpture Carving
To promote Green Goals, the Union have hired a wood carver from M+F Creations to carve a five-foot snake that will be finished pre-game at Subaru Park on Saturday, April 19. The snake will be auctioned off to Union fans and the proceeds will be donated to a local sustainability non-profit.
Planter Refurbishments
On April 8, the Union and Subaru of America volunteered at a local Chester school, Edgmont Scholars Academy, to refurbish the unused planters on the school’s playground. The volunteers planted new flowers, vegetables and herbs in four 7x4 foot planters. The Philadelphia Horticultural Society was also on-site to teach the students how to maintain all the plants in the planters.
The Union’s sustainability efforts continue year-round. In addition to their Greener Goals initiatives, the Union continues to maintain their zero-landfill status at Subaru Park. First announced in 2021, Subaru Park was the first soccer-specific stadium in Major League Soccer to reach the milestone, meaning that over 90 percent of waste generated at the stadium will either be reduced, reused, or recycled. As of April 11, 2025, the stadium is on track to surpass two million pounds of waste diverted from local landfills, a milestone it will officially reach during the Greener Goals match, presented by Subaru of America, on April 19. This achievement marks a major step in maintaining the stadium’s nationally recognized zero landfill status.
