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LONG ISLAND CITY, N.Y. (July 22, 2022) – Fidelis Care, a health plan serving more than 2.5 million members across New York State, is proud to announce the continuation of a long-standing partnership with New York City Football Club (NYCFC), the reigning champion of Major League Soccer. As NYCFC’s official health insurance partner, Fidelis Care is working with the team to promote health and wellness in local communities.

Highlighting the partnership is “Free Football for All,” a unique youth soccer program offering free soccer clinics across New York City boroughs, Long Island, and Westchester County. Launched in 2021, Free Football for All has already reached more than 1,500 children and continues to attract youth ages 7-14 with the opportunity to play soccer and learn teamwork and leadership skills in safe, outdoor settings – all at no cost for families. Families interested in registering may visit https://www.nycfc.com/youth/freefootball. 

"Fidelis Care is proud to extend our partnership with New York City Football Club," said Pam Hassen, Chief Member Engagement Officer. "As a leading local health plan, our goal is to promote the importance of health and wellness not only for our members, but also for communities across the greater metropolitan area. We value the relationship with NYCFC and look forward to providing even more children with safe spaces for play and connection through the sport of soccer.”

Fidelis Care will also be the presenting partner of the annual Soccer Bloc Party, a community festival that uses the power of soccer to connect, educate, and celebrate children and families across New York City. Co-hosted with NYCFC, the Soccer Bloc Party will take place at one of the 50 New York City Soccer Initiative (NYCSI) mini pitches. The annual event will feature food, entertainment, and soccer, bringing families together to play, celebrate diversity, and focus on health and wellness. 

“Fidelis Care has been an incredible partner of New York City Football Club since 2017. We love working with like-minded organizations to create programs that add value to the communities we serve. Through the ‘Free Football For All’ program, we’ve reached over 1,500 children throughout the New York City metropolitan area and given kids the opportunity to enjoy our sport and learn important life skills. We’re excited to renew our partnership and are committed to helping even more children,” said Andres Gonzalez, NYCFC Vice President of Partnerships.

Additionally, Fidelis Care Representatives will be present at select NYCFC games to provide parents with information about quality, affordable health insurance and answer questions. 

About Fidelis Care:
Fidelis Care is a mission-driven health plan offering quality, affordable coverage for children and adults of all ages and at all stages of life. With more than 2.5 million members statewide, Fidelis Care believes that all New Yorkers should have access to affordable, quality health insurance. Follow us on LinkedIn at linked.com/fideliscare, on Twitter at @fideliscare, Instagram at @fideliscare, and on Facebook at facebook.com/fideliscare. For more information, call Fidelis Care at 1-888-FIDELIS (1-888-343-3547) or visit fideliscare.org.

About New York City Football Club:
New York City Football Club (NYCFC) is an American professional soccer team that competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) in the Eastern Conference of the League. It was announced as the League's 20th franchise on May 21, 2013 and is the first and only MLS Club located within the five boroughs of New York City. NYCFC kicked off its inaugural MLS season in March 2015 and is majority owned by City Football Group (CFG). Since its inaugural season, the Club has qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs the last six consecutive seasons. In 2021, NYCFC won the MLS Cup in the Club's first ever appearance, becoming the first professional sports franchise based in New York to win a championship in a decade. NYCFC’s Academy currently features teams from the U-12 to U-18 age groups and became the first Academy in the country to win back-to-back national titles at the U-19 level. NYCFC proudly supports City in the Community (CITC) foundation to use the power of soccer to uplift communities; one of the programs, New York City Soccer Initiative (NYCSI) is a first-of-its-kind public-private community partnership to open 50 mini-soccer pitches in underserved NYC neighborhoods in five years.