Building a Lasting Community Legacy
Thach Nguyen stands with local soccer leaders at the ground breaking for his new affordable housing development in Rainier Valley.
Photo and Article by Mazvita Maraire
After fulfilling his commitment to the Rave Foundation in 2021 to raise $400,000 to help the charitable arm of Sounders FC build two free-play soccer fields in Seattle’s New Holly neighborhood, Thach Nguyen has embarked on an unprecedented mission.
Last month, Nguyen and his partners broke ground on his latest project to empower, inspire, and build a legacy for underserved youth in Rainier Valley. An immigrant himself, Nguyen plans to build seven RAVE Townhouses in the very neighborhood where he grew up.
“I came here in 1975 from Vietnam, and in 1978, we lived on Orcas Street and Martin Luther King Street when it was called Empire Way,” said Nguyen. “When I came here it was not so diverse. Things have changed for the better. It’s exciting. Soccer is a big sport in Asia, Brazil, and now in America, especially in this zip code, they love playing soccer. For us to be able to build houses, sell them, alongside building more soccer fields so kids can play makes them happy and makes me happy.”
All profits from the RAVE Townhouses will be directed to the RAVE Foundation’s 26 Fields by 2026 Initiative. A legacy project to build 26 soccer-friendly pitches in 26 marginalized communities to coincide with the FIFA World Cup 26™ to be played in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
No one entity can break years of disproportionality by itself. Transformational change in low-income communities is achieved through committed partnerships. The Rave Foundation, SEATTLEFWC26, and Seattle Sounders FC have created that unique partnership.
The Rave Fields are an essential part of the RAVE Foundation’s programs which use soccer to inspire wellness, and learning, decrease mental health, and bring joy to youth in underserved communities.
“This moment means a lot to the Rave Foundation and the community at large. It helps us meet our mission faster and extend that mission beyond 26 fields,” said Ashley Fosberg, Executive Director of the Rave Foundation. “We have a mission to leave the 26 fields open for free play after the World Cup. With Thach’s generosity and this project, we can dream bigger.”
Fosberg’s vision is for everyone to experience the World Cup in one form or another. “We’re getting the world's largest sporting event in our backyards! The World Cup is a statewide event. We, along with SeattleFWC26, want to create ways for as many people as possible to experience it and find their love of soccer - whether that’s in a stadium or in their community. Communities need access to places where they can play for free anytime and a soccer ball to play with. Solving for these two things leaves a legacy of free play for soccer throughout the State.”
For SeattleFWC26’s CEO Peter Tomozawa, Nguyen’s project is a shining example of how a strong partnership with thoughtfulness and commitment can make a difference and leave a lasting legacy. “It’s an incredible day and a relationship that has been building for a long time between the SoundersFC, Rave Foundation and Thach Nguyen,” said Tomozawa. “We’re building a lasting legacy beyond the World Cup in 2026, and this partnership is a concrete example of making ideas and goals a reality.”
“Everything that is good comes out of this project,” said Sounders FC Majority owner Adrian Hanauer. “Building fields, having active lifestyles, having a place for community to gather, being able to wrap educational programs, and having a place where parents feel safe their kids can go. This only happens through amazing partnership.”
For Nguyen to come full circle and bring his resources to the neighborhood where he grew up is a dream come true. In 2012, Nguyen built a townhouse in the Rainier Valley and named it after his father (Nhon’s House). “My dad was a social worker in this area. He helped a lot of refugees come to this area to get food, welfare, and housing. Today, I am just passing the legacy of my dad,” closed Nguyen.
Nguyen and his business partner, Chris Welch, CEO of Macfarlane Homes, were able to procure free services from every subcontractor who donated not only their services but all equipment for the project and financing at zero down and no interest.