As the Utah community and the world cope and adjust to the new normal in the wake of the evolving COVID-19 pandemic, former Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando decided to extend an opportunity for the community to help one another.
With a few extra minutes to clean and sort through memorabilia from his illustrious 20-year career in Major League Soccer, Rimando has offered fans and members of the community the chance to purchase signed gear from him. Rimando posted to his Instagram account on April 16, stating that he would funnel the proceeds to those who are unable to work or have lost their jobs due to repercussions of the pandemic.
“Did some cleaning the other day and found some old Rimando shirts, thinking about signing and using the donations to help those in need during this pandemic. Don’t want to put a price or minimum since these are hard times for many so whatever you feel is fair is good for me. Remember your donation is going to those who lost their jobs or can’t work because of COVID-19. I’ll ship out when things start to mellow out. I will put a signed glove or boot with the 2 highest donations each day for a week. The highest donation after a week will get a signed jersey added to their shipment. Please DM me to confirm size and style. Remember we’re all in this together,” Rimando posted.
“I have a multitude of shirts from various companies through the years and I had the thought of signing the gear for fans who maybe never had the chance to retrieve that specialized gear,” Rimando explained to RSL.com. “I just hope this helps people out during tough times.”
The post on both his Instagram and Twitter accounts have attracted the attention of former teammates and members of the MLS community, including former RSL goalkeeper Chris Seitz – who said he may have to steal the idea – and former RSL defender Chris Wingert.
“The more we can do for the community whether that’s here in Utah or elsewhere, the better this whole situation is going to be and that’s echoed by Wingert and Seitz,” Rimando said. “Throughout a professional career – regardless of how long that career is – you collect a lot of things without realizing it. I thought if those things can put a smile on someone’s face through receiving a shirt, boots or gloves, or through the donations the items generate, then our community gets stronger. We're just trying to do our part.”
Rimando also says the possibility of match-worn gloves and cleats may appear for auction at some point as the rapidly evolving situation carries on. In addition to Rimando’s signed memorabilia and gear, fans can continue to donate to the club’s effort in aiding the community through the "Feeding our Frontline" campaign.
