Home Depot Center News

CARSON, CALIFORNIA (Thursday, April 26, 2012) – The Home Depot Center, LA Galaxy and California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) will complete the second installment of their joint internship program on Saturday, April 28, when the Galaxy host FC Dallas at The Home Depot Center.

For the past semester, two CSUDH interns have been working with the LA Galaxy front office to market this Saturday's LA Galaxy vs. FC Dallas match as \"Toro Night\" to the CSUDH community. Working with a marketing budget, the Galaxy sales staff and facility management, the interns have been reporting directly to LA Galaxy Group Sales Manager Matt Rousso.

\"We were thrilled to once again have Dominguez Hills students join our sales and marketing team and have been pleased with the work that they have put into Toro Night,\" Rousso said. \"We look forward to building on their successes and continuing to expand our relationship with the CSUDH community.\"

The program, offered exclusively to two CSUDH students during the spring semester, provides work experience in the areas of sales, marketing and event presentation with the Galaxy, while they earn a stipend and credit towards graduation.

In addition to working with the Galaxy and The Home Depot Center front offices, the interns have had the opportunity to interface with CSUDH administration, faculty, alumni and students throughout the internship.

\"Partnering with The Home Depot Center and LA Galaxy on this internship illustrates how public and private institutions can come together to provide an innovative learning experience and help students achieve their ultimate goal of getting a great education with practical career preparation,\" said Greg Saks, vice president of University Advancement at CSUDH.

This year's internship was fulfilled by two juniors; Estevan Hernandez and Kishore Ramlagan. Hernandez is a business administration major, with a marketing concentration and minor in finance. Also a business administration major, Ramlagan has an emphasis in sports management and hospitality and is a former soccer player, trainer and coach.

\"This internship is truly a collaboration with our facility, the Galaxy and CSUDH, and we are looking forward to a successful Toro Night on Saturday,\" said Katie Pandolfo, general manager of The Home Depot Center.

Toro Night kicks off at 7:30 p.m. with the LA Galaxy taking on FC Dallas. For tickets, please visit LAGALAXY.com/TORONIGHT.

About The Home Depot Center

The Home Depot Center is southern California's home of world-class competition and training facilities for amateur, Olympic, collegiate and professional athletes. The $150 million, privately financed facility was developed and is owned by AEG and operated by AEG Facilities on a 125-acre site on the campus of California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) in Carson, California. The Home Depot Center features an 8,000-seat tennis stadium, a 27,000-seat stadium for soccer, football other athletic competitions and outdoor concerts, a 2,000-seat facility for track & field and a 2,450-seat indoor Velodrome for track cycling. The Home Depot Center is home to two Major League Soccer teams, the Los Angeles Galaxy and Chivas USA. Named an Official U.S. Olympic Training Site, The Home Depot Center is also home of the United States Tennis Association's (USTA) High Performance Training Center, the national team training headquarters for the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) and Athletes' Performance, an international training center for elite and professional athletes. For more information, please visit www.homedepotcenter.com.

About LA Galaxy

The reigning Supporters' Shield winners and MLS Cup champions, the LA Galaxy are currently playing their 17th season in Major League Soccer. One of the original 10 clubs in MLS, the Galaxy were founded in June 1994 before playing their first-ever game in April 1996. One of 19 teams in MLS, the Galaxy play all of their home games at The Home Depot Center, a 27,000 seat stadium that opened in 2003 on the campus of California State University – Dominguez Hills in Carson, Calif. A three-time MLS Cup champion in addition to their two U.S. Open Cup trophies and their CONCACAF Champions Cup title, the Galaxy boast a roster that features many of the biggest domestic and international stars in all of MLS. For more information about the club or to purchase tickets for any Galaxy home game, please call the 877-3GALAXY or visit the club's official website www.lagalaxy.com.

About CSU Dominguez Hills

California State University, Dominguez Hills is a model urban university located in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County. The university prides itself on a world-class faculty and innovative and relevant academic programs that prepare a multicultural student body to compete in a global economy. For more information, visit www.csudh.edu.

Contact:

The Home Depot Center Communications
Alison Groendal Salcedo, (310) 630-2032