The NWSL’s Washington Spirit have offered free and discounted tickets to furloughed federal employees for Sunday’s match with the San Diego Wave on Sunday, Oct. 5.

The 200 tickets that were offered via voucher were quickly claimed on Wednesday as the federal government was shut down.

The club will also offer a limited number of $10 tickets to friends and families of the furloughed employees. Sunday’s game is nearly a sell-out at Audi Stadium, which holds 14,900 fans and is the home to the Spirit and the MLS’s DC United.

“This is not a political statement,” team CEO Kim Stone told The Athletic. “This is us saying you’re hurting, we see you, we want to help you. This is about kindness, love, and a sense of community. We’re not trying to be antagonists. On the contrary, we’re trying to be kind, inclusive, celebrate and give hope to people who you know need a little inspiration today.”

The Spirit clinched a playoff berth with a resounding 4-0 win over Houston on Sunday. They reside in second place in the league standings and could sew up home-field advantage in the early stages of the playoffs with a win over San Diego and help from some other teams.

Stone is considering extending the ticket offers to the team’s final regular season home game on Oct. 18 vs. Orlando and into the playoffs.

–Field Level Media