Napa Valley 1839 FC Shares Important Message with the Sports Community

In the landscape of sports, jerseys attract a large amount of attention.  The style, colors, and name a team chooses to wear are decisions that are highlighted and debated endlessly.  Sometimes, a jersey transcends the standard palate and carries not just a team designation, but a message.  And the message from Napa Valley 1839 FC is clear – ENOUGH.

On October 19th, 2019 Napa Valley walked out on the field with a uniform inscribed with the cities and names of lives lost in the past two years of mass shootings in the United States.  The reason behind the jersey is deeply personal.  Napa Valley co-owner Arik Housley lost his daughter Alaina to a mass shooting at Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks, California, in November of 2017.  The jerseys, also sold to fans, have raised more than $30,000 towards Alaina’s Voice Foundation, which is focused on mental health support for individuals and families in need. 

“The foundation believes stopping one act of senseless violence in the future may not be measurable, but it is worth saving one more life and one more family the heartache,” stated Housley.

Now those kits are getting a new extended run in another sport – cycling.  Ride Napa Valley, an event production company, which supports many nonprofits including Alaina’s Voice Foundation, partnered with CAPO, a high-performance custom cycling apparel company, to design the ENOUGH cycling kit.  The kit was promoted during the third annual Rock the Ride, a benefit event for gun violence prevention, inspired by Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-05) and Napa County Sheriff John Robertson, as a way for the community to get involved and raise funds for local and national nonprofit organizations including addressing critical issues on gun violence.  The kit’s orange bands on the sleeve and shorts represent the color of gun violence prevention.

“We’re incredibly grateful to have the support of this extended cycling community, and for me personally, a new cyclist, I look forward to replacing my soccer jersey with a real cycling jersey,” said Housley.

Rock the Ride has brought together national leaders in gun violence prevention, including Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Congressman Ted Lieu (CA-33), Congressman Dan Kildee (MI-05), Congresswoman Susie Lee (NV-03), and founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America Shannon Watts.

The ENOUGH kit is sold in men’s and women’s sizing and is available online at https://capocycling.com/products/enough-mens-super-corsa-jersey. Net proceeds will be directed to Alaina’s Voice Foundation.

Photo Credit: Mario Cendejas

 

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