The Carolina Soccer Foundation (CSF) "has cleared its
first hurdles in bringing" an MLS team to Winston-Salem, as
the non-profit organization has created a business plan and
raised $40,000 in contributions, according to Valerie
Bauerlein of the WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL. But now the CSF
must meet its next deadline and raise an additional $60,000
by April 18. Volunteers spearheading the push for an MLS
expansion team have established the "self-imposed deadline"
in order to gauge the local interest in pro soccer. If the
CSF "can reach that $100,000 threshold through $50
donations, [it will] proceed to the next step." MLS Exec VP
John Ertmann said that although he was "impressed" with the
city, it "has its work cut out." Ertmann: "There are more
cities that are more active than Winston-Salem right now. I
certainly would not reject Winston-Salem's re-expression of
interest in soccer, if it exists, but I just haven't heard
it. And as time goes by, there are other cities that are
leapfrogging past Winston-Salem" (W-S JOURNAL, 3/21).
