It may be a mouthful to say, but a local soccer club is more than happy to try.
Langley FC Alliance will now be known as Preston GM Langley FC, or PGMLFC.
“It is quite the mouthful,” admitted Rob Jandric, the president of the soccer club.
He figures over time, the club will become simply known as Preston FC, much like Magnuson Ford in Abbotsford of Metro-Ford in Coquitlam.
Preston FC and Langley FC Alliance officially announced the new partnership last week (March 12).
“We are just very excited,” Jandric said.
“They are very community oriented.”
Chevrolet, one of the brands sold at Preston GM, has recently sponsored Manchester United Football Club, as well as forming a partnership with Canada Soccer.
Local dealerships were encouraged to explore opportunities within their own communities, said Peter Heppner, the vice-president and general manager of Preston GM.
“Our company is very interested in any and all activities for the benefit of kids and families,” Heppner said.
They approached local soccer associations and struck the deal.
One part of the relationship is that Preston GM donated a brand new Chevrolet Trax.
They even went as far as locating a vehicle in the Sunset Orange Metallic colour to match the soccer club’s distinctive orange colour.
They purchased the vehicle — the only one of that colour in the entire province — from another dealership.
The vehicle will be driven by the soccer association and then it will be raffled off with the proceeds benefiting the club.
Jandric said without the stress of having to cover the cost of the vehicle, all of the funds will go right to the club.
“It means extra revenue that we can put towards programming for the kids,” Jandric said.
“One of the things we have always looked at is how do we cut costs, how do we get the best bang for the members’ buck.”
The sponsorship provides the club with the freedom to continue to provide top-level programming and also to raise the bar with new initiatives without relying on the members to cover the costs.
In keeping with Chevrolet’s sponsorship, the Preston GM Langley FC jerseys will feature the iconic Chevrolet Bowtie logo on the front.