Big Hearted Countess!

[Deuce]

Provo girl counts on countess

RSL Goalkeeper Countess to Donate Funds for Rehabilitation Program

WEST VALLEY CITY (Friday, January 14, 2005) – Real Salt Lake’s goalkeeper, D.J. Countess, is already giving back to the community, just one week after buying his Wasatch Front home, donating his player appearance fee from Saturday’s grand opening of the newest Zions Bank “Su Banco” branch to a local child affected by infantile cerebral palsy.

Countess, along with Zions Bank, has agreed to donate the appearance fee to aid Provo native Colby Christensen in raising funds to travel to Poland, where the four-year old will enter into a unique rehabilitation program specializing in her disease.

“I’m very excited to become involved and give back to the community,” said Countess. “To see Colby, a little girl, working so hard to raise money and fight for her survival, really touched me. I wanted to help.”

Countess first learned of the four-year-old’s condition through a friend living in Dallas, Texas, who happened to be reading a Salt Lake City newspaper article on-line and informed him of Colby’s story. Countess became very interested and wanted Real Salt Lake to be active in raising funds for her trip.

Saturday’s grand openingmarks the first meeting between Countess and Colby. Countess is due to leave for RSL preseason training Feb. 1, returning for the team’s first official match set for April 2 in New York, while Colby is planning to depart April 1 for the one-month rehabilitation program in Mielno, Poland.

Tracey Christensen, Colby’s mother, told her daughter she was going to meet a professional soccer player.

“Cool!” said Colby, with a big smile on her face.

Real Salt Lake will join Countess in contributing funds towards her cause. Countess, Colby, and other RSL players, including Friday’s #1 pick in the 2005 MLS SuperDraft, 16-year old Nik Besagno, will appear Saturday at the new branch located at 1635 S. Redwood Road in West Valley City. A donation box for Colby will be set up in the Real Salt Lake booth.

www.RealSaltLake.com

[the cup]

Wow, that is cool.

I think we need to come up with a banner or something for the games that says how much we appreciate our players.

I still can't believe I was able to just walk up to Jason Kreis and get my picture taken with him.

Awesome.

[Deuce]

I know what you mean Cup...

I look at the pictures of me with Kreis and Mathis and think how fortunate I am to be in on all of this stuff!

What a difference a day makes....

Before July 14th I thought my only bigtime soccer fix was going to be on FSW every saturday morning or travelling to the cavernous Rice-Eccles to sit with my son and 4 or 500 other ppl rooting for the Blitzz... It always seemed so few ppl were there.

The alternative was shelling out the bucks to do my road trip to DC or Denver once a year to see United play.

Now I am a season ticket holder for Real Salt Lake, I am going to player announcements and getting my picture taken with soccer superstars like Mathis and Kreis... and will be seeing the best players in the country coming each weekend in the summer ... right here to my back yard!

It is too good to be true...

Before July 14th I was actually planning on moving back to the UK or just leaving Utah... for lots of different reasons but I can tell you there is only one single reason why I didn't leave... It was announced on July 14th!

I didn't actually think to myself... "I am leaving because this place does not have an MLS team..." but when the team was announced it just seemed like everything fell into place and for the first time I can remember... I didn't want to leave!

Call me whatever you like for the choices I have made... but I will just tell you... I am just glad to be here and be a part of all of this!

[Arelius]

Very cool. I wouldn’t have thunk it… My estimation of Countess in on the rise.

[montgjules]

My estimation of Countess is also rapidly rising. Everything I've heard about him so far has been very positive. I think he'll end up one of my favorites, however he ends up performing on the field.

[Arelius]

Originally Posted by montgjules

My estimation of Countess is also rapidly rising. Everything I've heard about him so far has been very positive. I think he'll end up one of my favorites, however he ends up performing on the field.

His on-field performance will have to be stellar for mine to keep rising.

[SoccerPrime]

I am glad DJ is doing great things like this to give to others.
As for his position, GK, I was surprised that RSL had so much faith in him they drafted a under study for him. I was really thinking that even though DJ was going to start, they would have gotten a older, MLS-experienced GK to help him out.
We'll see I guess.

[Arelius]

Originally Posted by SoccerPrime

I am glad DJ is doing great things like this to give to others.
As for his position, GK, I was surprised that RSL had so much faith in him they drafted a under study for him. I was really thinking that even though DJ was going to start, they would have gotten a older, MLS-experienced GK to help him out.
We'll see I guess.

My sentiments exactly.

[Jim Umber]

My impression is: John Ellinger knows exactly what he wants. He's worked with these guys and knows what they are capable of. I am optimistic.