From free youth soccer programs to local business partnerships, Hearts of Pine’s 2026 Impact Report reflects on its growing impact and commitment to using soccer as a force for good.
- The Club’s Community Ticketing Program distributed 1,500 free tickets through community partners like Portland Public Schools and others.
- Hearts players have made over 220 community appearances in schools, hospitals, and at public events across the club’s first two seasons.
- Programs like the Portland Soccer Project, DesignFC, and free events like Maine Soccer Summer, Heartsapalooza, and a clinic in Lewiston have brought the club’s mission of Soccer for Good to life for countless Mainers.
PORTLAND, Maine — Two seasons and 38 sold-out matches into its history, Portland Hearts of Pine is reflecting on a founding belief that professional soccer can be a force for good in the place it calls home.
The club’s newly released 2026 Community Impact Report, Soccer for Good, tells the story of how that belief is taking shape across Maine. From free after-school soccer programs to the small businesses that have become part of matchday at Fitzpatrick Stadium, Hearts has worked to turn the extraordinary response to professional soccer into opportunities that extend well beyond the stadium, inspiring supporters and partners to find their own ways to give back and make a difference in their communities.
“When we started Hearts of Pine, the goal was never just to bring professional soccer to Maine. We wanted to build something that could make a real difference in the place we call home,” said Gabe Hoffman-Johnson, founder and Chief Community Officer of Hearts of Pine.
“What I’m most proud of isn’t the number of tickets we’ve sold or how many people have packed into Fitzy. It’s seeing kids discover the game who might not otherwise have had the chance, watching our players become part of people’s lives, and seeing the way this club has brought people together. We’ve always believed in the power of soccer to do good, and these first two seasons have shown us what’s possible. We’re just getting started.”
Across its first two seasons, Hearts players, coaches and staff have participated in 220 community appearances, making more than 10,000 in-person connections through school visits, hospital visits, and community events throughout Maine.
Expanding access to the game has been a central part of that work. During the 2026 season, the club’s Community Ticketing Program distributed more than 1,500 free match tickets through community partners, while supporters contributed more than 500 pieces of lightly used soccer equipment through its’ Play It Forward program. Hearts also supported free neighborhood soccer at Kennedy Park and partnered with the City of Lewiston to host a clinic for more than 200 young players.
Through the Hearts of Pine Foundation, the Portland Soccer Project has provided free after-school soccer programming at East End Community School and Talbot Community School, serving 150 students through 165 sessions and more than 320 hours of programming since January 2025. The program has expanded to serve schools in the Biddeford School System this fall. The club has also partnered with Design FC, hummel and The Telling Room to introduce young people to creative and professional opportunities beyond the field.
Hearts has used its growing platform to support organizations and causes across Maine, including Make-A-Wish Maine, Camp Sunshine, New England Cancer Specialists and EqualityMaine. The club’s original film Win Lose Or Draw, I Am Jess shared the leukemia journey of supporter Jess Donovon and encouraged viewers to get tested as potential bone marrow donors. Through merchandise donations and matchday partnerships, Hearts has also helped local nonprofits raise funds and introduce their work to new audiences.
That commitment to Maine extends to the local economy. Hearts works with 22 local food and beverage vendors and 71 local business and community partners, while the Hearts of Pine Club Shop features products from more than 20 Maine artists and small businesses. A study commissioned by the City of Portland and conducted by the University of Southern Maine’s Catherine Cutler Institute estimated that the club generated $16.5 million in statewide economic activity and supported 145 jobs during its inaugural 2025 season alone.
Environmental stewardship has also been a priority as the club’s matchday footprint has grown. In partnership with local organization Garbage to Garden, Hearts of Pine diverted 86 percent of stadium waste from landfills during the 2026 season, a three-percentage-point improvement over 2025. With more than 124,000 attendees at Fitzpatrick Stadium throughout the season, the initiative demonstrates how the club is working to reduce its environmental impact while bringing thousands of people together on matchdays.
The club’s community work continues to grow through the Hearts of Pine Foundation, established as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in November 2025. Supported in part by one percent of club partnership revenue, the Foundation is working to expand free youth programming and develop additional community futsal courts across Maine.
With Maine Wildness preparing for its inaugural USL W League season in 2027, Hearts of Pine looks ahead to new opportunities to grow the game and build on its commitment to the communities that have embraced the club.
The full 2026 Hearts of Pine Community Impact Report shares the stories behind these efforts, highlighting the people, organizations and partnerships that have helped bring the club’s founding mission to life.