POSTED: Friday September 7th 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FC Indiana Among Investors of New Chicago Pro Women?s Soccer Team

Investor Group Includes FC Indiana, Illinois Women’s Soccer League and Former Fire President Peter Wilt; Team to Play Home Games at TOYOTA PARK
 
LAFAYETTE, IN. USA, September 6, 2007 ? Chicago Professional Women’s Soccer President and CEO Peter Wilt and a group of investors, which includes owners of FC Indiana announced today that they have secured a charter franchise in the new professional women’s soccer league, which is set to launch in the spring of 2009. 
 
Wilt, FC Indiana’s ownership and the Illinois Women’s Soccer League announced last February that they were seeking a franchise in the yet to be named league.  The League announced today that it would kick off in the spring of 2009 with teams in at least seven cities, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New Jersey/New York, St. Louis and Washington, D.C. 
“This new League will offer the world’s best women’s soccer and it is my goal to build a team on and off the field that will be the very best in the world,” Wilt said.
“The team on the field will include several of the world’s best international stars, several United States National Team players, outstanding players who have starred at some of the top US college programs and the very best players who have developed their skills right here in Illinois,” Wilt said.

INVESTOR AND PARTNER GROUP - The Chicago Professional Women’s Soccer, LLC investor and partner group includes a cross section of the area’s soccer and business leadership.  The 16,000 member Illinois Women’s Soccer League (IWSL) has signed on as a partner that will provide many of the benefits of ownership to the many young girls and women who play soccer in the state.  In addition to the IWSL, the team’s leadership includes, Chicago Soccer Investment, LLC, John (Jack) Cummins, Bob Morrison, Susan Morrison, Whitecap Investments GP led by Jim Willett, Dale Weaver, Gary Weaver, WGLSI, LLC and Peter Wilt

 
Gary and Dale Weaver are former principals of Rollpak Corporation and are partners in WGLSI and FC Indiana, the defending champions of the Women’s Premier Soccer League.  Bob Morrison is the former Chairman and CEO of both Quaker Oats and Kraft Foods.  He also served as Vice-Chair of PepsiCo until his retirement.  Bob’s wife Susan, a member of the Women’s Sports Foundation’s Board of Trustees, is also an owner along with Chicago Soccer Investment, LLC, Chicago attorney and former DePaul University soccer player John (Jack) Cummins, Whitecap Investments, led by Jim Willett and former Chicago Fire President and General Manager Peter Wilt.
Each member of the group has local soccer ties and they are investing in this team, because they believe in its need and its opportunity,” Wilt said.  While the team is sufficiently funded, the team continues to look to expand its broad base of support in the community.
 
HOME FIELD - TOYOTA PARK  and CPWS, LLC have agreed to terms for the team to play its home schedule at the home of the Chicago Fire Major League Soccer team. 
?TOYOTA PARK has quickly become known as one of the best professional soccer venues in the United States.  We will be showcasing the world’s best women’s soccer players, so it’s appropriate that they will play at this world class facility,” Wilt said.   
TOYOTA PARK General Manager Dan Garnett welcomed the team.  “We believe this a great market for women’s soccer and we are proud to add the women’s team as another major tenant to our facility along with the Chicago Fire (Major League Soccer) and Chicago Machine (Major League Lacrosse),” Garnett said.
In addition to soccer matches, TOYOTA PARK also hosts a variety of other events including community events, sports competitions and concerts by world renowned artists.  “TOYOTA PARK is a versatile facility and is designed to host concerts and live entertainment in addition to sporting events.  TOYOTA PARK is the newest generation in state-of-the-art outdoor facilities,” said Garnett.

 
5,000 SEASON TICKET EQUIVALENTS IN IWSL PARTNERSHIP - The partnership with the Illinois Women’s Soccer League provides the youth and adult soccer league all the benefits of an equity partner in the team.  The team will provide a complimentary ticket voucher to two games of their choice to each IWSL member, which, when combined with projected companion ticket purchases, will provide more than 50,000 fans over the team’s expected ten game home schedule at TOYOTA PARK or an average of more than 5,000 tickets per game.

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