FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Revolution’s home match on April 11 will be special for several reasons, and if you haven’t made it to Gillette Stadium yet this season, Saturday’s game against D.C. United is a great place to start. The night will be a powerful example of the moments when the game becomes bigger than sport, as it serves as the second annual Olivia Knighton Foundation Match, honoring the life of Olivia Knighton and supporting the work of the foundation created in her memory.
Founded in 2023 by former Revolution goalkeeper and current Revolution II assistant coach Brad Knighton and his wife Britney, the Olivia Knighton Foundation is dedicated to carrying forward the spirit of their late daughter. Through toy drives, scholarships, and grants, the foundation supports the dreams of children, spreads kindness, and uplifts the causes Olivia held dear.
“Olivia was such an incredible person and with losing her at such a young age and her not being able to experience all the things that we're fortunate to be able to experience, we started the foundation to give others the opportunity, to empower them, and carry on their dreams and aspirations and the things that Olivia loved,” said Brad. “We started the foundation to give back to others and carry on her light, her love, and give kids an opportunity. It's something they may not have been able to do, but through donations and grants, we’re able to fundraise and give kids an opportunity to experience their dreams.”
Since its launch, the Olivia Knighton Foundation has awarded 10 Attleboro High School graduating seniors with $5,000 Love for Liv Learning Fund Scholarships, donated thousands of toys through annual holiday toy drives, awarded five teachers with $500 each for their classrooms, and supported dozens of organizations. The impact continues to grow each year.
Prior to kickoff of Saturday’s match at Gillette Stadium, Fan Zone will feature activities including airbrush tattoos, rock painting for Olivia’s Garden, a kindness wall, and photo opportunities. Inside the stadium, supporters will unveil a TIFO in Olivia’s honor, and Revolution players will take the field wearing special jerseys adorned with an Olivia Knighton Foundation patch. After the final whistle, those jerseys will be auctioned off online, with all proceeds benefiting the foundation.
“One of her most favorite places to be was at Gillette. She literally grew up going to Gillette every weekend. She knew every player, every player’s family, every player’s number, every player’s position. So, for them to have the game last year and now this year too, for us it’s very emotional first of all, but it also just means a lot to us that the Revs are honoring her and talking about her foundation. It really means more to our family than we could even express because the Revolution organization, the team, was so incredibly important to her. We know that she is here in spirit," said her mother, Britney.
For the Knightons, the most powerful part of the foundation’s growth has been watching its ripple effect take shape. Saturday’s match embodies that impact, with thousands coming together in an atmosphere infused with Olivia’s spirit and the kindness she inspired. Moments like that show how her light continues to reach people simply by being shared and celebrated.
“If it has that ripple effect on one kid that's sitting in the stands and watching the game, if it’s just, ‘Oh, that teal is a pretty color, or who’s Olivia?’ or they have a wristband or something that gives them some symbolic meaning that they were there on that day and learned a little bit about what the foundation is, that means the world to us,” explained Brad. “If we’re able to have that ripple effect of maybe one or two people, and then that carries on, and people talk about the foundation and the positive light and everything that the foundation has been good for, it’s a symbol of Olivia and who she was. So, if we can spread awareness of who she was and what the foundation is all about, what we can do given the resources that we've been able to provide for these kids to help them follow their dreams, then that's a home run for us.”
Britney echoed that sentiment, noting how proud it makes her to see children and families – some who never met Olivia – become inspired by her story.
“We see so many kids and families who never knew Olivia when she was here, but now they're involved in the foundation and they're so proud of helping out. When Olivia was here on earth, I don't know how to put this into words, but so many people loved her and she loved people. But I think now with the foundation, the amount of people she can touch, that she has affected we can't even comprehend,” she explained.
For those who want to help keep Olivia’s ripple spreading beyond Saturday night, visit the foundation’s website to donate, learn how to start a fundraiser of your own, or keep an eye out for registration for their upcoming music bingo event on June 18. If nothing else, in honor of Olivia, spread a little kindness and watch it grow.
Kickoff will be at 7:30 p.m. ET, with the Fan Zone opening at 5:30 p.m.
