SEA LIFE Aquarium Kansas City is naming their octopus after Sporting Kansas City captain Matt Besler. Besler will have the opportunity to interact with the octopus, which will include playing with a soccer ball, during a special event at 1 p.m. CT on Monday, Jan. 5.
Besler is coming off an outstanding 2014 season where he represented the United States at the FIFA World Cup in Brazil and was named the KC Sportsman of the Year.
As part of this event, a silent auction will take place online that will give guests the opportunity to win a Matt Besler autographed jersey and soccer ball, as well as a downtown Kansas City overnight package among other items. All funds raised will go towards SEA LIFE Aquarium Kansas City’s charity, SEA LIFE Trust, which is dedicated to the conservation of marine wildlife and the environment.
SEA LIFE Aquarium Kansas City has donated Fisher Price Soccer Sets, which Besler will deliver to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Kansas City, to help encourage healthy, active kids.
“We are very excited that we can name our octopus after a person who is very involved in the Kansas City community,” says Elizabeth Mathews, marketing coordinator for SEA LIFE Aquarium Kansas City. “We look forward to expanding the partnership with Besler and Sporting Kansas City to help encourage healthy, active kids who are passionate about helping the environment.”
About SEA LIFE Aquarium Kansas City
SEA LIFE Aquarium Kansas City takes visitors on an enthralling two hour journey from the fresh waters of the Missouri River, into the mighty Mississippi River then out into the warm blue coral strewn waters of the Caribbean Sea, ending in the deep dark abyss of the Atlantic Ocean. Come nose to nose with sharks and prepare for astonishingly close views of everything from humble starfish and seahorses to graceful rays. In addition, a stunning centerpiece is a huge tropical ocean tank with a walk-through underwater tunnel. To get any closer you’d have to get wet!
Merlin Entertainments Boilerplate – North America
MERLIN ENTERTAINMENTS plc is the leading name in location-based, family entertainment. Europe’s Number 1 and the world’s second-largest visitor attraction operator, Merlin now operates 105 attractions, 11 hotels/3 holiday villages in 23 countries and across 4 continents. The company aims to deliver memorable and rewarding experiences to its almost 60 million visitors worldwide, through its iconic global and local brands, and the commitment and passion of its managers and 25,000 employees.
Merlin has twenty three attractions and one hotel in North America - including two stunning LEGOLAND Resorts – LEGOLAND Florida with its theme park, water park, and LEGOLAND California theme park with water park, SEA LIFE aquarium and themed hotel; Madame Tussauds celebrity wax attractions in New York, Washington DC, Las Vegas; Hollywood; and San Francisco LEGOLAND Discovery Centers in Chicago; Dallas/Fort Worth; Kansas City Missouri; Atlanta, Georgia; Boston; Westchester, New York; Toronto, Canada; a Dungeon in San Francisco; and SEA LIFE aquariums in Phoenix, Arizona; Kansas City, Missouri; Dallas/Fort Worth; the Mall of America in Minneapolis and Charlotte – Concord - underlining the company’s position as the world’s biggest global aquarium operator. Visit www.merlinentertainments.biz for more information.
About Sporting Kansas City
Sporting KC is owned by a group of local Kansas City business and community leaders comprised of Neal Patterson, Cliff Illig, Pat Curran, Greg Maday and Robb Heineman. The club prides itself on its commitment and vision to provide high-performance entertainment and consumer experiences. Sporting Club purchased the team from the Hunt Sports Group in 2006, and under its direction has opened the world-class Swope Soccer Village in Kansas City, Missouri and state-of-the-art Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kansas, while investing in the Sporting KC Academy for developing local youth into homegrown talent. Sporting KC was crowned MLS Cup champions in 2013, claiming a second league title in the team's 19-year history as a charter member of Major League Soccer. The team is also a two-time winner of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
