For Immediate Release // Please Excuse Cross Posting
Friday, July 31st, 2026
Contact: Palmira Figueroa, 425-301-2764; pfigueroa@ndlon.org
Los Angeles, CA- Media is invited to cover a match celebrating 25 years of immigrant worker organizing. Location shared with credentialed press only to protect participating workers.
The National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON) will launch its 25th anniversary celebration this weekend with a soccer match that honors the gathering where its story began.
Three decades ago, a group of day laborers met on a soccer field in San Francisco. Between matches, workers shared stories about searching for work, confronting exploitation, and supporting one another. Those conversations laid the foundation for what would become NDLON, founded to build the collective power of day laborers and immigrant workers nationwide.
Now, as immigrant communities face escalating attacks and increased immigration enforcement, day laborers from Los Angeles and San Francisco will once again come together on the soccer field—they will play and celebrate 25 years of organizing, resilience, and solidarity.
Our anniversary theme, “Trabaja. Lucha. Triunfa.” reflects the journey of immigrant workers whose labor, organizing, and leadership have transformed communities across the country.
Because many participants are immigrant workers who face heightened risks under the current immigration enforcement climate, the exact location of the event is not being publicly disclosed. Credentialed members of the media who RSVP will receive the location and logistical information directly.
What: NDLON 25th Anniversary Soccer match commemorating the origins of the organization and celerbating 25 years of immigrant worker organizing.
When: Saturday, August 1, 2026, 9 am
Where: Location withheld for participant safety. Shared with confirmed media upon RSVP.
Who:
- Day laborers from Los Angeles and San Francisco
- Leaders and members of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network
- Players and coaches from La Red FC
- Community organizers and supporters
“Soccer has always been more than a game for our community. It’s a place where workers build friendships, find belonging, and strengthen the relationships that make organizing possible. It is an honor for La Red FC to help commemorate 25 years of NDLON by returning to the field where community, solidarity, and collective power come together.”
— Omar Leon, General Manager, La Red FC
As NDLON commemorates its first quarter century, the organization is inviting supporters to contribute to our work. Donations can be made at NDLON’s 25th Anniversary Campaign.
Media RSVP:
Credentialed media interested in attending should contact Palmira Figueroa to receive the event location.
About the National Day Laborer Organizing Network
The National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON) is a leading organization dedicated to improving the lives of day laborers, migrants, and low-wage workers. For 25 years, NDLON has worked to expand worker rights, advance immigrant justice, strengthen local worker centers, and build community-led responses to injustice across the United States.
