One of Maine’s biggest celebrities will help the state’s new professional soccer team continue its home launch in Portland on Saturday.
Actor and philanthropist Patrick Dempsey will be on hand for the Portland Hearts of Pine’s second home match at Fitzpatrick Stadium. He is scheduled to participate in the coin toss and then lead a chant with the team’s Dirigo Union supporters just before the 5:36 p.m. kickoff against FC Naples.
The Hearts of Pine squad played its first ever game before home fans in Portland on May 5, earning an exciting if soggy 1-1 draw against Knoxville SC. The Portland team is heading home after another 2-2 draw against Union Omaha on May 10.
Hearts of Pine will be wearing a special “Bandit Kit” for its jerseys on Saturday, in honor of the Portland Valentine’s Day Bandit and in partnership with the Dempsey Center — the cancer care and support nonprofit that Dempsey founded after the experience of his mother’s journey with ovarian cancer.
“This Bandit Kit is a representation of our unwavering sense of togetherness and our love of Maine. It is truly special for the Dempsey Center to partner with Hearts of Pine as we celebrate community and spread the word about our mission to provide support for loved ones with cancer,” Dempsey, who was born in Lewiston, said in a February press release from the team.
Kevin Farnham was revealed as the Valentine’s Day Bandit by his family after his death in 2023. Farnham had for years put red hearts up around the city on Valentine’s Day. Others have kept up the tradition.
The Bandit Kit jerseys incorporate red hearts in honor of that local history.
“There’s something about seeing those hearts scattered across town — a quiet reassurance that, even in the cold and solitude, we are connected,” Hearts of Pine founder Gabe Hoffman-Johnson said in the same press release. “The Bandit Kit is a tribute to those unsung acts of kindness and the fabric of our community that make Maine so special. We hope it’s a reminder to cherish connections, spread love, celebrate the little things, and bring warmth and light to others, even in the darkest days.”
Expect anything but a dark day with Dempsey and the Portland supporters on hand for another home Hearts of Pine match on Saturday. Despite the rain during the home opener, fans were already providing an electric atmosphere in a packed Fitzpatrick Stadium. The team supporters expected that energy to continue throughout the season as professional soccer continues to grow in Portland.
