The Colorado Rapids have announced a new partnership with UCHealth that will see the Colorado-based health system become the club's official jersey sponsor through the 2029 MLS season.
As part of the partnership, UCHealth is launching Ready. Set. CO., a new, health-focused initiative to help restore Colorado as the healthiest state in the nation.
“The Rapids are committed to being the heartbeat of sport in Colorado so we couldn’t be more excited to partner with a local organization like UCHealth who is not only invested in the well-being of our community, but who has also shown a long-standing support of Colorado sports,” Rapids executive VP & general manager Pádraig Smith said in a Monday release. “This announcement marks a significant day for our club, as the partnership will provide a foundation for both of our organizations to drive healthy living initiatives with our fans and our community. We look forward to having UCHealth be a part of the Rapids family for many years to come.”
UC Health is a nonprofit health system focused on delivering high quality medical treatment. The company includes 29,000 employees, 12 acute-care hospitals and hundreds of physicians across Colorado, southern Wyoming and western Nebraska.
UCHealth’s logo will be displayed prominently on the front of all Rapids first team match jerseys and training tops, as well as all Rapids MLS NEXT (academy) team jerseys and the jerseys of select Colorado Rapids Youth Soccer Club teams.
In the coming months, UCHealth, the Rapids and Kroenke Sports & Entertainment will be announcing health-related community education and outreach, health and wellness offerings and events, and additional community health investments through Ready. Set. CO. to connect all Coloradans with opportunities to lead healthier lives.
“UCHealth provides expert medical care and advanced treatment options, but our ultimate goal is to keep our communities healthy and out of the hospital,” said Dr. Abigail Lara, UCHealth’s medical director of health equity and associate professor of medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. “Partnering with the Rapids and Kroenke Sports & Entertainment to launch this initiative allows us another opportunity to connect with Coloradans to truly impact the health of our state.”
