Church parking near stadiums scores big in a win-win for faith congregations and sports fans

CHESTER, Pa. (AP) — The Eagles and the NFL might still be the overwhelming sports favorites at Calvary Baptist church just outside Philadelphia. But many in the area are also rooting for their neighbors who last year reached the championship game of Major League Soccer. The Philadelphia Union plays at Subaru Park, a stadium just a few blocks from Calvary. The church uses its parking lot for game-day fundraisers, with volunteers from the congregation staffing the lots and selling spaces for $15 per vehicle. Across the nation, churches and other houses of worship located near ballparks and football stadiums –from Boston’s Fenway Park to the Green Bay Packers’ Lambeau Field – have opened their parking lots for legions of fans.