The Philadelphia Union Foundation has launched its first-ever apparel line, and the name comes straight off a highway sign: Exit 6, the I-95 off-ramp that leads into Chester, Pennsylvania. Hats, shirts and tote bags in the new collection carry designs like “Exit 6” and “Forged in Chester,” with proceeds going toward local programs including the Chester Union Soccer Club, which covers uniforms, cleats and club fees so kids in the city can play for free.
The name is not just a clever hook. As CBS News reports, Alyssa Radu, executive director of the Philadelphia Union Foundation, said “everything goes through the six in Chester,” framing the exit itself as a kind of gateway to the community the foundation has spent years investing in. Radu said the apparel line could connect Chester and anyone else, not just soccer fans, to that identity. The collection is available now in Chester and through the foundation's website.
For 11-year-old midfielder Zidan Harris, the appeal is simpler: playing soccer, he said, is fun and lets him play with his friends and teammates. Chester native Johnjalee Corbin put it in broader terms, saying people will always find their way back to the Chester community, and that Chester has come a long way with children, art, creativity, sports and the community, per the same CBS News report.
A Program Built to Remove Cost as a Barrier
The Chester Union Soccer Club, which the apparel proceeds help fund, was launched by the Philadelphia Union Foundation in November 2023 as a no-cost soccer program for youth ages U8 to U19. According to Philanthropy Daily, the club had grown to more than 369 registered players by late 2025, with nearly 500 total participants across its programming. The club eliminates financial barriers like equipment and registration fees for local families, a detail that matters in a city where those costs can be prohibitive.
That mission extends beyond youth leagues. The Philadelphia Union Foundation restored high school varsity soccer to Chester in September 2024 after a hiatus of more than 30 years, organizing and managing team development as Chester High School entered PIAA competition at the WSFS Bank Sportsplex, according to the foundation. The varsity squad draws students from Chester High School, STEM Academy and Chester Charter Scholars Academy.
Why Chester Needs the Help
The economic backdrop explains why fee-free access matters so much here. U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts data from 2019 to 2023 shows Chester has a median household income of $39,809 and a poverty rate exceeding 30%, compared with Delaware County's overall median household income of $88,576. Chester has also faced long-term industrial disinvestment and state financial oversight under Act 47.
Founded in 2011 as the independent 501(c)(3) charitable wing of the MLS club, the Philadelphia Union Foundation operates separately from the team itself, focused on mini-pitches, youth mental fitness and free soccer programming in Chester. The foundation's Legends of Soccer Fundraising Gala raised more than $282,000 in 2023 to support youth initiatives, including Chester soccer development and regional mini-pitch builds, according to PhiladelphiaUnion.com.
Bricks and Mortar Behind the Branding
Exit 6 did not appear out of nowhere. In July 2026, the Philadelphia Union Foundation and partner love.fútbol unveiled renovated multi-sport courts at 7th and Penn Streets in Chester, featuring a permanent Exit 6 community mural painted by local artist Tehran “Ran” Freeman. That renovation involved more than 75 local volunteers alongside funding from the Buckley Family and the Ron Jaworski Foundation, per love.fútbol.
The foundation's Safe Spaces mini-pitch initiative dates back even further, to 2015 at Stetser Elementary School, later adding a pitch at Main Street Elementary and opening a dedicated Safe Space field in Chester this past June. The initiative aligns with a national U.S. Soccer Foundation campaign to build 1,000 specialized mini-pitches, according to the Philadelphia Union Foundation.
A Bigger Investment on the Waterfront
All of this sits alongside a much larger financial commitment to the city. The Philadelphia Union and WSFS Bank officially opened the $100 million, 170,000-square-foot WSFS Bank Sportsplex in Chester in July 2025, pledging 365 hours of free annual facility access for Chester youth programs and community groups. The 32-acre waterfront complex houses the Union's first team, second team and academy facilities, according to WSFS Financial Corporation. In June 2026, WSFS Bank extended its naming rights partnership for the sportsplex through the 2030-2031 MLS season, protecting those dedicated free hours for Chester schools and civic groups.
That infrastructure traces back to Subaru Park itself, which opened on the Chester waterfront on June 27, 2010, backed by $77 million in combined state and Delaware County public funding. The stadium's construction was designed as an economic anchor for waterfront revitalization, and the club's footprint has expanded from that single stadium into the sprawling sportsplex now standing beside it.
Whether Exit 6 generates enough revenue to meaningfully expand any of these programs remains to be seen, and tracking the exact dollar amounts from merchandise sales is among the open questions for future reporting, according to CBS News. For now, the collection gives Chester's own highway exit a second life, stitched onto hats and shirts, with the proceeds routed back into the same neighborhoods the sign points toward.
