March 2019 Sports Philanthropy Roundup

NFL

Zach Ertz Honored With Steinberg-DeNicola Humanitarian Award
Zach Ertz was recognized with the Steinberg-DeNicola Humanitarian Award for his service to the community. Ertz joined teammate Carson Wentz on a trip to Haiti and soon decided to form the Ertz Family Foundation with his wife Julie to assist youth who were less fortunate with better sporting equipment. 

Ben Roethlisberger’s Charity Donates $70K To Police K-9 Programs In Pittsburgh Area
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger announced eight grants worth a total of $70,000 to police K-9 programs from his foundation on Monday. The mission of the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation is to support K-9 units of police and fire departments throughout the United States, with a particular emphasis on service dogs in Pittsburgh. 

Meet Philadelphia Eagles’ running back Corey Clement at launch of new youth sports nonprofit
The Lancaster Sports Association will launch 3/23 and works to ensure that all kids, no matter where they live, can play sports in high school, college and beyond. They’ve gained the support of Corey Clement from the Eagles who will attend the new org’s kick off party later this month. 

Davon Godchaux, Microsoft Partner To Assist At-risk Youth
Davon Godchaux of the Miami Dolphins aims to help kids grow up healthy through his Chaux Down Foundation. Microsoft announced they will donate $5000 to Chaux Down Foundation to fight against childhood obesity. Godchaux also recently attended a Microsoft coding workshop for at risk youth in South Florida.

Fremont native, NFL running back holds charity event for his high school
Robert Turbin hosted his annual charity basketball game to give back to his high school in Fremont, CA. The game raised $10,000 for Irvington’s Athletic Program, as well as Turbin’s foundation ‘Runnin4U’ which puts money into cerebral palsy research and multiple sclerosis.

The 15: Baltimore Sports Saints
March is a month for saints. Well … Saint Patrick, anyway. But the Baltimore sports scene has seen its share of saints throughout the years. It would be impossible to recognize all of the Baltimore sports figures who have impacted the community by giving their time, spending their money or using their platform to inspire others. But we’ll recognize some who have stood out this month with 15 “Baltimore Sports Saints.” 

Rams recognize Grant & Lincoln High School as Academic Challenge Winners
The Los Angeles Rams and the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) have created the Academic Challenge, a program that encourages academic excellence, teamwork, and friendly competition. The winners of this year’s challenge were students who showed consistent improvement in the classroom and demonstrated leadership qualities.The Rams also presented each of the winning schools with a $2,500 equipment grant to support their football programs.

Why Not You? A Star NFL Quarterback Aims to Empower Youth
Off the field, Wilson married Grammy Award-winning singer Ciara in 2016. And like other Glitzy Givers we profile, the young celebrity couple is starting to put some of their money and time toward philanthropy. In 2014, Wilson launched the Why Not You Foundation, which is “dedicated to creating real and lasting change in the world by motivating, empowering and preparing today’s youth to be tomorrow’s leaders.” I recently spoke with Why Not You Foundation Executive Director Carly Young about the couple’s nascent philanthropy and the grantmaking priorities of their foundation. 

Esiason heads up Mikey Strong Charity Hockey Game at Prudential Center
The fight to get Mikey Nichols back on his feet is getting stronger each year. The 22-year-old who was paralyzed during a high school hockey game five years ago will be at Prudential Center on Friday for the 5th annual Mikey Strong Charity Hockey Game to benefit spinal cord research and quality-of-life initiatives, the Nichols Family Trust and the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. What started as a charity game at Ice World Sports Complex in Middletown, New Jersey in 2015 has grown so big it will be played at the home of the New Jersey Devils for the second straight year. 

Former Bears cornerback to row Lake Michigan for charity
Former Bears CB Charles Tillman will be building a boat and rowing across Lake Michigan for childhood cancer research this August. The money will go towards pediatric cancer research and financial support for families of child cancer patients. 

Houston Texans Foundation announced a fund to advocate for social justice programs
The Houston Texans Foundation has created the Houston Texans Social Justice Fund to assist nonprofits in the Houston area that support youth and provide legal services for underprivileged citizens. 8 Million Stories, Restoring Justice and the YMCA of Greater Houston will receive a total of $100,000 from the Houston Texans Foundation to support their internal programming. 

Team Frugal: Arrelious Benn
Arrelious Benn is a current NFL veteran and marquee example of what it means to be a frugal athlete. Benn is the founder of PhoneHome, a financial scholars program partnered with EverFi to provide financial literacy training and understanding to individuals in the Washington Dc area. Benn is using his platform to create positive impact within his community.

NBA

Silver & Black Give Back kicking off a ’30 Acts of Kindness’ campaign
Silver & Black Give Back, the official nonprofit of Spurs Sports & Entertainment, is kicking off a “30 Acts of Kindness” campaign in celebration of their 30th anniversary of giving back to the community. To honor the landmark anniversary, SBGB will be putting on 30 Acts of Kindness in the month of March across San Antonio, Austin and surrounding areas with the help of staff volunteers from the People of Spurs Sports & Entertainment (POSSE) program.

Toronto Raptor Danny Green Won A Pile Of Puppies Last Night And His Reaction Was Priceless
The Toronto Raptors held their annual Raps City Social red carpet event to raise money for the MLSE Foundation. The MLSE LaunchPad is a place where youth use sport to recognize and reach their potential. 

UNITED, WE WIN: New UA ICON Curry 6 Celebrates Challenging the Status QuoSteph Curry has partnered with Riley Morrison, the 9 year old girl who asked him why his Curry 6s weren’t sold in girls sizes, to do something big on International Women’s Day — a promise he kept by inviting Riley to help design a new pair of signature shoes. Riley designed a sockliner for the shoes, and all proceeds will go toward a scholarship for college-bound female athletes. 

Abdul-Jabbar auction nets nearly $3 million for charity
An auction featuring an array of memorabilia from the Hall-of-Fame career of NBA all-time scoring leader Kareem Abdul-Jabbar netted nearly $3 million. Abdul-Jabbar, 71, put up 234 items, including four of his six championship rings, for auction, with most of the proceeds targeted for his Skyhook Foundation that sends children from economically-challenged backgrounds to summer camps focusing on science, technology and engineering.

Mavs raise over $1.3 million at the annual Mavs Ball
At the 4th Annual Mavs Ball: A Blue Tie Affair presented by Smith Thompson Home Security on Friday, March 1st at American Airlines Center and the Dallas Mavericks raised over $1.3 million dollars for the Mavs Foundation and the women, children and family it serves. The Mavs Ball is the premier fundraiser for the Mavs Foundation, the non-profit arm of the Dallas Mavericks, dedicated to serving women, children and families in need across North Texas.

Dwyane Wade connects to South Florida communities through philanthropy
Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade has given back to the community through his philanthropic involvement in various South Florida organizations. Since the Heat drafted Wade fifth overall in the 2003 NBA Draft, the 13-time NBA All-Star has given back to the community in every possible way.

A Talk with LeBron James Convinced NIKE’s Co-Founder to Approve the Kaepernick Ad
The [Kaepernick] campaign, though, did get approval from Nike management, and from Nike cofounder Phil Knight. While Knight retired from his role as chairman of the company’s board in 2016, he still holds the title of chairman emeritus, owns a large share of Nike, and has influence over the brand he built into a global powerhouse. Speaking at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business last month, he explained his thinking about the ad, and how a conversation with NBA star and Nike athlete LeBron James helped convince him to back it.

Elite sport is gradually waking up to widespread mental health issues
On Friday night the NBA’s commissioner, Adam Silver, made a statement that was both shocking and profound: many of the league’s players, who have an average salary of $7m a year, were “truly unhappy”. He told the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference: “The outside world sees the fame, the money, all the trappings that go with it, and they say: ‘How is it possible they even can be complaining?’ But a lot of these young men are genuinely unhappy.”

How LeBron Bests MJ: What happens off the court matters too.
LeBron’s different. He’s been active as a philanthropist from the start of his career, much of the giving generated by his business acumen. LeBron Inc.: The Making of a Billion-Dollar Athlete (April 2019) by sports journalist Brian Windhorst focuses exclusively on the subject’s incredible business savvy. And with these riches comes an opportunity to build on an already impressive legacy of charitable work that includes the I Promise School in his hometown of Akron (where much of his charitable efforts are focused).

How dinner at Warriors owner Joe Lacob’s house turned into a $5 million commitment to Oakland
The Warriors have received a $5 million investment from Kaiser Permanente to create a 20-year program to incubate nonprofits focused on educating young people and keeping them healthy. The incubator will be center court for youth-focused nonprofits to access resources, technical assistance, training and networking opportunities. Called “Generation Thrive”, the initiative is focused on educational equity, college and career readiness, and health and wellness. 

Jennifer Ridgeway Is Leading The Wolves and Lynx’s Community Efforts Forward Without Apology
There is no one path to a career in sports and Jennifer Ridgeway, the Vice President of Social Responsibility for the Wolves and Lynx, is an example of how hard work, discipline and investment in your own development can lead to great things across many different disciplines.

Boston police & fire gear up for 2019 ‘Battle of the Badges’ charity hoops to benefit cancer research
It’s become a tradition in the city when the Boston Police and Fire Department take to the hardwood for charity in the annual “Battle of the Badges” basketball game, hosted by A Shot for Life. The annual event will aim to raise another $10,000 for cancer research at Mass. General Hospital. A Shot for Life has already raised over $40,000.

25th Annual Muhammad Ali Celebrity Fight Night, A Charity Knockout Event
The stars came out last night to give, show support, perform, and to continue to raise money and awareness in hopes of one day find a cure to knockout Parkinson’s disease. Going back to year number 1, The first ever event was held at the Ritz-Carlton operated on a much smaller scale than today, which is now held at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa. At the very first Celebrity Fight Night With the help of Phoenix Suns Charles Barkley, Dan Majerle, and the valley of the sun’s very own Louie Espinoza, Tony Baltazar, and boxing champion Michael Carbajal who by the way fought in the ring with over sized boxing gloves.

MLB

How Detroit Tigers pitcher Matt Boyd is saving 36 girls in Uganda
Tigers pitcher Matt Boyd and his wife Ashley have adopted 36 girls in Uganda to protect them from the sex slave industry. The Boyds buy food, clothing and sandals for the girls, and pay rent for their home. They have created their own nonprofit, Kingdom Home, and are raising money to buy land in Uganda to build 4 new homes to house more girls. 

MLB Grit Invitational Aims to Help Foster Women’s Baseball at Youth Level
More than 60 teenage women will take the field at the Texas Rangers Globe Life Park this weekend as part of the MLB Grit invitational. Major League Baseball and USA Baseball have partnered to host the high school invitational for girls who play baseball, bringing the players together for games, development and speakers. MLB Grit is building on the league’s other keystone women’s baseball events: The Trailblazer Series and Breakthrough Series.

Royals minor-league catcher M.J. Melendez continues charitable efforts in offseason
M.J. Melendez hosted his second M.J. Melendez Baseball Camp, which helps young players learn the game while also supporting organizations in the community. It is a donation-only camp, and Melendez, whose parents were born in Puerto Rico, directed $5,000 from his first camp in 2017 to a Boys & Girls Club in Puerto Rico. Last summer, the camp raised money for Florida Baptist Children’s Homes in Miami.

Bryce Krispie Treats Proceeds Go To Charity
The Pineville Tavern in Philadelphia made “Bryce Krispie” Treats in honor of the Phillies new star player. All proceeds from the sale of the treats go to Harper’s Heroes, Bryce Harper’s charitable foundation that partners with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to support kids battling rare blood cancers. 

Youth Sports

How San Beda Alabang Cheer Captain Fights Body-Shaming, Leads Team to Victory
How does one become a cheerleader? Does one have to fit a certain image or stereotype? As San Beda Alabang’s Junior Red Lions team captain Edgael Galimba, 16, has happily realized, one doesn’t have to be a typical cheerleader. In most people’s eyes, she doesn’t look like one—she isn’t reed-thin or even slim. When she was in Grade 6, she remembers a cheerleader coming up on stage to invite students who want to try out for the cheerleading squad. “I stood up and asked if I could be one despite me being fat,” Gaspar recounts. “She told me that I could, and she eventually recruited me.”

Chip for Charity event raises nearly $3,000 for Special Olympics
Two high schoolers in Cape Girardeau, MO started a Chip for Charity golf tournament that raised almost $3,000 for Special Olympics. The tournament started as part of a class project and had 72 participants.

National Fitness Foundation and AAU Announce Partnership
The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) and National Fitness Foundation (NFF) announce a historic partnership aimed at supporting and expanding youth sport and athletics participation in the United States. In conjunction with the NFF, the AAU will administer the Presidential Youth Fitness Program (PYFP), a program aimed at modernizing fitness education in school physical education classrooms by emphasizing student health, goal setting, and personal progress.

Curling for a cause: Bemidji’s curling passion on display at 23rd Annual Lumberjack Bonspiel
There aren’t many charity sporting events where participants can go head-to-head with a former national champion. But that was the case at the 23rd Annual Lumberjack Bonspiel held Saturday at the Bemidji Curling Club. The bonspiel, supported by First National Bank Bemidji, has helped raise money for Bemidji High School and Bemidji Middle School activities for more than two decades.

Lacrosse

NLL Extends Partnership with Right To Play
The Philadelphia-based National Lacrosse League (NLL), the largest men’s professional indoor lacrosse league, today announced an extended partnership with Right To Play, a global organization dedicated to protecting, educating and empowering youth in need through play and sport, while driving lasting social change in their communities. This is the seventh consecutive year that the NLL has teamed up with Right To Play to increase awareness of the organization and raise money to support local programming benefiting children in Indigenous communities.

NHL

Arizona Coyotes Foundation, FOX Sports Arizona to hold charity broadcast March 7
The Arizona Coyotes announced today that the Arizona Coyotes Foundation, in conjunction with FOX Sports Arizona, will be holding a charity broadcast during the Arizona Coyotes versus the Calgary Flames game on Thursday, March 7. All funds raised during the broadcast will be donated to the 100 Club of Arizona, which provides financial assistance to families of first responders who are seriously injured or killed in the line of duty and provides resources to enhance their safety and welfare. The broadcast begins on FOX Sports Arizona at 6:30 p.m. with the “Coyotes Live” pre-game show.

NHL rookie turns demotion into ‘classy move’
Trent Frederic was scheduled to play with the Bruins in their game against his hometown St. Louis Blues the day before he was traded to their AHL affiliate. He had paid for a suite at the rink for family and friends to come and watch. Instead of letting it go to waste, he gave the box to St. Louis Blues Special Hockey so their members could enjoy the game. The move even got recognition from the Blues. 

Brooks: Flames Celebrity Poker Tournament raises more than $365,000
Times are indeed tough these days, but the recent success of the Calgary Flames Ambassadors’ Celebrity Poker Tournament, held Feb. 5 at Cowboys Casino, is proof that philanthropy is alive and well. The tournament raised more than $365,000 for the Calgary Flames Foundation, bringing the total raised through the poker event to more than $5 million in 14 years. The foundation has supported more than 80 charities in southern Alberta.

NHL, NHLPA launch Female Hockey Advisory Committee
The NHL has partnered with the NHLPA to launch the first Female Hockey Advisory Committee. The committee was formed during the NHL and NHLPA’s first Gender Equity Month Campaign and is made up of 11 women from various backgrounds. The committee will work to find ways that both girls and women can be active participants in hockey. 

Go Green Night Auction Raises $62,625 For Charity
Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation’s Green Auction, held during Go Green Night presented by WGL on March 10 versus the Winnipeg Jets, raised $62,625 for the Anacostia Watershed Society and the Washington Youth Garden. The auction featured autographed, limited edition green jerseys worn during the pregame warmups, autographed sticks wrapped with green tape and autographed green Capitals pucks. T.J. Oshie’s warmup jersey went for the highest bid, at $3,750, followed by a team puck set at $3,200.

Esiason heads up Mikey Strong Charity Hockey Game at Prudential Center
The fight to get Mikey Nichols back on his feet is getting stronger each year. The 22-year-old who was paralyzed during a high school hockey game five years ago will be at Prudential Center on Friday for the 5th annual Mikey Strong Charity Hockey Game to benefit spinal cord research and quality-of-life initiatives, the Nichols Family Trust and the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. What started as a charity game at Ice World Sports Complex in Middletown, New Jersey in 2015 has grown so big it will be played at the home of the New Jersey Devils for the second straight year. 

The Rite Aid Foundation, Attorney General Josh Shapiro and Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation Host Teacher Training for Prescription Drug Safety Program in Western Pennsylvania
Marking one year since the Prescription Drug Safety program was introduced to high schools in Western PA, the Rite Aid Foundation, the Office of the Attorney General and the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation led a training session for 50 teachers in the region on the EVERFI digital program. These partners are working to combat adolescent prescription drug abuse and misuse in PA. 

Minnesota Wild forward JT Brown surprises Black Girl Hockey Club by donating over $3k to group’s GoFundMe
The Black Girl Hockey Club got an incredibly kind contribution Friday from a supportive NHL player. Minnesota Wild forward JT Brown donated over $3,000 to the club’s GoFundMe that has some roots in Washington, DC.

WNBA

Jennifer Ridgeway Is Leading The Wolves and Lynx’s Community Efforts Forward Without Apology
There is no one path to a career in sports and Jennifer Ridgeway, the Vice President of Social Responsibility for the Wolves and Lynx, is an example of how hard work, discipline and investment in your own development can lead to great things across many different disciplines.

How This Former Athlete Became A Champion For Gender Equality
Esther Wallace started out carrying a sketch pad to scribble fashion designs, but at age 15 she swapped it out for a basketball and fell in love with the sport. In 2017, the athlete-turned-entrepreneur combined her love of style and sports and put eight words that speak volumes on a t-shirt: Female Athlete, Judged By Achievements, Not By Gender. We caught up with Wallace on the inspiration behind her iconic t-shirt design and her take on the “female athlete” versus “athlete” label.

Team USA

U.S. Women’s Soccer Team Sues U.S. Soccer for Gender Discrimination
The US Women’s soccer team is the next high profile group of athletes to fight against gender discrimination. 28 members of the team have sued US Soccer claiming that institutionalized gender discrimination has existed for years. From their paychecks to where and when they play to their training, treatment and travel, the lawsuit describes the discrimination as far reaching.

Soccer player-philanthropist Tony Sanneh among new St. Paul-area Bush Fellows
Sanneh, a former World Cup soccer player and founder of the Sanneh Foundation, aims to use the fellowship to help professional sports teams change the way they engage with communities and pursue philanthropy. He plans to complete his bachelor’s degree in urban education policy, seek advanced training in sports philanthropy and public speaking, and train teacher-athletes as mentors.

US Soccer Joins If Then Initiative to Promote Women in STEM
U.S. Soccer announced this week that it will partner with IF/THEN, an initiative of Lyda Hill Philanthropies supporting women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). IF/THEN, built on the mantra that “if we support a woman in STEM, then she can change the world,” seeks to empower current innovators and inspire the next generation of female pioneers. U.S. Soccer will work with IF/THEN to hire more women into new, full-time positions to support the Federation’s high-performance department and initiatives.

National Soccer Hall of Fame Prepares to Launch STEAM Education Program
The National Soccer Hall of Fame has created the STEAM FC initiative to boost STEAM education in Frisco, TX area and beyond. The initiative will use soccer as a catalyst to get students engaged in STEAM subjects and talk about STEAM career opportunities in soccer and pro sports venues.

Collegiate Sports

Big 12 Conference and CFP Foundation Complete “Extra Yard for Teachers Classroom Makeover” for Heronville Elementary School in Oklahoma City
The Big 12 Conference, in partnership with the College Football Playoff Foundation’s Extra Yard for Teachers initiative, and Phillips 66, today revealed the makeover of the library at Heronville Elementary School in Oklahoma City. Through a $70,000 grant, Heronville Elementary School – which first opened in 1924, just 17 years after Oklahoma became a state – completely renovated its library. By updating the library’s media center and common areas with technology, books, new paint, carpeting and furniture, the students, teachers and parents will have access to an enhanced learning environment. 

Why America East Conference Continues to Put Focus on Mental Health
The America East Conference is strengthening its efforts to be a leader in mental health among its athletes. The conference last month announced its Board of Presidents adopted the NCAA autonomy proposal to improve student-athlete access to mental health resources. The proposal was originally approved by the Power Five conferences in January, and America East is the first outside the group to adopt the proposal, but Commissioner Amy Huchthausen said the conference’s efforts stretch back several years.

Brackets For Good Launches New Program
Indianapolis-based Brackets For Good Inc. is changing up its annual fundraising program. The sports-themed fundraising organization has launched Champ’s Charity Challenge, in which users can fill out brackets for the NCAA men’s college basketball tournament in the name of their charity of choice. The previous iteration of the program saw nonprofits competing in a tournament-style bracket of their own to see who could raise the most money.

Jake Olson benches 17 reps at USC Pro Day for charity
USC long snapper Jake Olson lost his eyesight to retinoblastoma, but that’s not stopping him from giving back. He participated in Trojans’ Pro Day to raise money and awareness for those affected by the disease. Olson benched 17 reps at 225 pounds and has so far raised over $51,000 to support Uplifting Athletes. Donate here: https://pledgeit.org/jake-olson-2019

Former FSU offensive lineman Alec Eberle using pro day to help charity
Florida State offensive lineman Alec Eberle wants to finish his college career the same way he started it — by giving back and playing for something bigger than himself. Eberle has been working closely with Uplifting Athletes since his freshman year and is using his pro day as one last opportunity to raise money to help those suffering from rare blood diseases. When Eberle suits up to work out in front of NFL scouts Thursday, he said his bench press reps will be used to determine how much money will be donated. He said some people supporting him have chosen to give a dollar amount per rep, while others are donating a flat amount.

Tennis

AdvoCare Donates $10,000 to City of Miami Parks and Recreation – Hosts Tennis Clinic with Pro Cici Bellis
AdvoCare has donated $10,000 to the City of Miami Parks and Recreation Department to help ensure children have safe and healthy places to exercise and be active. Pro tennis player Cici Bellis will host a tennis clinic for the Parks and Rec after school program in Shenandoah Park. 

International Sports

Canadian goalkeeper Erin McLeod pledges one per cent of her salary to charity
Canadian goalkeeper Erin McLeod pledged 1% of her salary to charity. McLeod works with Vancouver’s Canada Scores, a charity that works with kids in the Burnaby and Surrey and is affiliated with Common Goal. 

Driver Robert Megennis Creates Donation Campaign for Starlight Children’s Foundation
Robert Megennis is donating $1 to Starlight Children’s Foundation for every lap he races in the 2019 Indy Lights season. He’s encouraging others to join him in his support of the organization by donating here: https://fundraise-your-way.starlight.org/fundraiser/1856039

UK Mental Health Program “Uplifts” Youth Through Snow Sports
Dedicated to changing the lives of inner-city youth through snow sports, UK charity Snow-Camp has been providing innovative youth development programs in London since 2003. The organization recently announced the launch of its newest program, Uplift, which was created to help young people suffering from poor self-esteem and self-defeating beliefs. The mental health program will contain several workshops and one-on-one support sessions focused on teaching young people invaluable coping mechanisms against toxic relationships, addiction and social conditioning.

Man City Encourages Female Footballers to Chase #SameGoals
In the football club’s second year of its #SameGoals social media campaign, Manchester City continues to celebrate female footballers by encouraging girls to grow their love for the game. The campaign invites girls from all over the world to upload a Twitter or Instagram video showing them scoring or saving a goal and using #SameGoals. For every video posted using the hashtag, Man City will send out a limited edition football to the young lady so that she can keep playing. Last year the #SameGoals campaign received a number of creative videos of tricks and skills from girls of different backgrounds and countries, which is the Club’s hope again for this year.

World Rugby marks 200 days to Rugby World Cup 2019 with record breaking donations to ChildFund Pass it Back programme
Marking 200 days to go until Rugby World Cup 2019, World Rugby and ChildFund, the principal charity partner for Rugby World Cup, have confirmed that a record GBP £1.5 million has been pledged to ChildFund Pass It Back, strongly showcasing rugby’s values. Pledged funds will enable more than 25,000 children and young people from disadvantaged communities across Asia to take part in and benefit from the programme. With a focus on gender inclusion, approximately half of all players and coaches to-date are female. The programme’s objectives are to equip children and young people in Asia to overcome challenges, inspire positive social change and ‘pass it back’ to their communities.

Vincent Kompany to hold Manchester City testimonial match in September
Manchester City have announced they will host a testimonial match for captain Vincent Kompany in September. The game will take place at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, September 11 this year, with all proceeds going to Tackle4MCR, a charity that Kompany runs alongside the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham.

Budweiser inks first-ever sponsorship of women’s football
Budweiser has become an official partner of England Women’s Football team, the first time it has ever sponsored women’s football. The brand will be the official beer of the team and will use the partnership to help break down social stigmas and barriers for women wishing to enter sports.

‘Be Better’: Inside Good Men in Sport’s Hard-Hitting Message for Men
At this moment, expectations for men and the way they influence the world around them are shifting. In the face of this change, one program is working to mobilize men to be a generative force for good while helping them find meaning and purpose in their lives. That program is Good Men in Sport.

Banda Bola Keeps Children in School Through Sports
“Our goal and purpose is to serve others. The mission and vision for Banda Bola is promote education and sports in schools. I love sports and want to share my passion for sports with school children,” he explains. Banda Bola conducts soccer clinics for teachers and students in Nkhatabay district in Malawi. “We want to support children who attend school regularly to help them stay and finish primary school while assisting them to dream of going to secondary school and beyond.”

How Juventus forward, Cristiano Ronaldo, makes and spends his millions
Ronaldo also spends his money on others. In 2015, he was voted the most charitable athlete in the world. He is involved in a lot of charities including the child refugee organization Save the Children and BeThe1Donor.com, this helps raise awareness for people to donate blood. He once paid for a 10-year-old fan’s brain surgery and donated towards fighting adolescent cancer in Portugal. Ronaldo also grants wishes and raises money for various causes through the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

EXCHANGE: Therapy revives amputee’s fire for sports
Ashley Green of Mackinaw, by her own description, was “a very active child,” involved in competitive gymnastics, volleyball, surfing, snowboarding, softball and track, until complications from surgeries on her ankle resulted in amputation of her leg below the knee. “Once I found adaptive sports, it brought back the fire into me,” said Green, 28, a graduate of Peoria Notre Dame High School. Now she is helping others with a nonprofit organization and motivational speaking and has her eyes on the Paralympics. She also is studying physical therapy at Bradley University.

BWF and Special Olympics Launch Long-term Partnership
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) and Special Olympics International (SOI) signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to increase the growth, quality and frequency of badminton participation around the world. The shared aim is to ensure that all Special Olympics badminton players realise the positive mental, physical and social health benefits of sport.

Adidas Pushes for Equality in Sports
Adidas has moved into its second phase of the She Breaks Barriers initiative. According to the apparel brand’s site, they debuted a film featuring four athletes and ESPN’s Maria Taylor that calls for equal media representation for women in sports. Additionally, Adidas announced a partnership with Twitter and Intersport to livestream women’s high school volleyball and soccer games on the service for the first time ever. 

ESPN Built to Play dedicated a multifunctional sports space in Sydney, Australia
ESPN Built to Play dedicated a multifunctional sports space in Sydney, Australia, on Thursday, Feb. 28; the eighth build globally. The space was refurbished with the help of community residents, and ESPN and Disney employees, and will provide a safe place to play for the community. Sport for development organizations will deliver ongoing programming on the new space, using the power of sports to educate young people on key local issues.

Forsports Foundation holds maiden Community Games to create AIDS awareness
Sports for development charity based in Sunyani, Forsports Foundation in collaboration with the Ghana AIDS Commission and Sunyani West District Assembly supported by Kits for the World, Shoes4Life and Umbro have successfully held a football tournament at Odomase, a suburb of Sunyani on 6 March 2019. The tournament, which was dubbed Act Against AIDS, geared toward the creation of awareness about the deadly disease, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in the Sunyani West District. The event recorded a huge number of people.

Sport for development and peace
A Sport for Development & Peace Festival was hosted on 15 March in Katutura with just over 100 children participating. The International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP) is an annual celebration of the power of sport to drive social change, community development and to foster peace and understanding. On Friday, the Basketball Artists School, NFA’s Galz & Goals, and SCORE Namibia, supported by Deutsche Gesellschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development hosted a multi-sports event, including activities for positive youth development, education and adoption of a Healthy Lifestyle. 

It’s time to play on
For all that is great and good about sport, for all its benefits to society, its ability to entertain, thrill, captivate and motivate, there’s no escaping the feeling of pointlessness and futility that descends when real life crashes down. The ripples from the carnage in Christchurch travelled far, wide and quickly through the sporting world, rendering trivial events that would otherwise have carried great import.

An evaluation of critical success factors influencing the performance of non-governmental organisations within the sports for development sector in Kenya
Howevеr, recеntly therе has beеn prolifеration of sports-for-developmеnt NGOs lеading to duplication of thеir programmes, compеtition for donor support, lack of innovation in thеir programmes, lack of community involvemеnt and total reliancеon the donor community. Many of thesе NGOs havе failеd to takе risks and havе becomе victims of donor manipulation. That notwithstanding, somе of the sports-for-developmеnt NGOs havе registerеd impressivе growth and comе up with sustainablе programmes that havе becomе amodеl for rеplication. With this in mind, it is the purposе of this resеarch to еstablish the critical succеss factors in the managemеnt of thesе sports-for developmеnt NGOs. 

Moroccan Climber Inspires Girls to Conquer Fears
The first Moroccan to scale the seven summits of the world’s continents, Bouchra Baibanou wants to inspire a new generation of women who “dare to believe in themselves”.  For Baibanou, there’s nothing better than an extreme sport to “overcome ones’ fears” and learn to “not give up at the first hurdle”. She has seen young women who were hesitant at the start of their first climb transformed by the experience.

Coaches Across Continents & Pathfinder International Partner on Women’s Health
Coaches Across Continents (CAC) and Pathfinder International have announced a unique partnership that uses purposeful play and outside the classroom education to advance sexual and reproductive health and rights. The combined expertise of the two organizations will allow the program to provide resources and education specifically tailored towards teenage girls, boys and young families.

Taking part in sport within an inclusive education setting
The gradual change for an inclusive environment in schools is supportive to meeting the Sustainable Development Goal 4. Early exposure to an inclusive environment promotes the need to change perceptions surrounding disability stigma. 

Diamonds inspiring hope: Jana Pittman supports fundraising initiative for Beyond Blue
Australian Olympian Jana Pittman is working to use her national platform and medical knowledge to raise awareness of issues from eating disorders to mental health to cancer. She’s an ambassador of several organizations in Australia and recently began a fundraising effort with mental health nonprofit Beyond Blue.

Peace and Sport launches the 6th edition of the #WhiteCard campaign from Cyprus
This year, the #WhiteCard campaign was launched during the Friendly Football Day that gathered Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot communities, in the bi-communal village of Pyla, Cyprus. Each year, to celebrate the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, Peace and Sport invites the entire world to show support to the peace-through-sport movement through the white card symbol.

Premier League launches No Room for Racism
The Premier League is today launching the No Room for Racism campaign, demonstrating its continued commitment to equality and diversity and using the power and popularity of the League to oppose racism in football. The campaign runs from Saturday 30 March to Monday 8 April and will make clear that racism is not acceptable in our competition or the wider sport. It will also celebrate diversity across the Premier League and our clubs, and recognise the significant contribution made by Kick It Out since it was formed 25 years ago in tackling discrimination.

Sport England and Sporting Equals launch Manifesto for Change programme
Sport England and the charity Sporting Equals have joined forces to launch an initiative billed as a catalyst for change for race equality in sport. The Manifesto for Change charter is designed to help tackle the barriers facing BAME communities in sport and physical activity. Sponsored link 100 Movies Scratch Off Poster UncommonGoods Recommended by The charter calls on sport’s governing bodies to capture data on ethnicity and to commit to tackling under-representation. Celebrating and promoting positive BAME role models is also a central theme of the programme.

Localgiving to hand out £550,000 to sports initiatives
Localgiving has announced details of its latest Magic Little Grants Fund, where it hands out £500 grants to small charities and community groups that promote sports and exercise. The online donations platform will distribute the money to groups and charities with an annual income of less than £250,000 who inspire people to take part in sports and fitness.

Sports Media

NBC and Refinery29 Promote Female Empowerment Through ‘On Her Turf’
NBC and Refinery29 have partnered together to promote stories of women breaking barriers in the sports world. The initiative is called “On Her Turf” and is now a multimedia platform that includes an instagram account, a podcast and a video series. 

SXSW Panel Discusses Path To Better, More Diverse Sports World
Together with food and music, sports is one of three topics that brings people of all walks of life together, according to NBA Chief Diversity Officer Oris Stuart at the SXSW panel “Leveling the Playing Field for Minorities in Sports.” They are a gathering point and a community-builder. It only follows, then, that the industry should be as inclusive as the wider world that follows it — not just for virtue’s sake, but because it more perspectives make everyone better.

HomeRadio and Music Industry NewsNashville Sports Radio Station WGFX-FM/104-5 The Zone’s Midday 180 Raises $32,510 for Tennessee Chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society With Successful “Z-O-N-E” Charity Basketball Tournament
Cumulus Media announces that Nashville sports radio stationWGFX-FM/104-5 The Zone’s Midday 180 hosted a charity basketball tournament on Thursday, March 14th at East Nashville Magnet High School. The event, tagged “Z-O-N-E” (a game similar to the popular “H-O-R-S-E” basketball game), raised $32,510 for the Tennessee Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The fundraiser is part of a campaign by 104-5 The Zone midday host, Jonathan Hutton, and his team at 104-5 The Zone to raise funds and awareness for the Tennessee Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

This Is What A Philanthropist Looks Like
Philanthropist is such a stuffy word. It calls to mind rich, old white men who have massive public buildings named after them — Rockefeller or Carnegie. Or maybe you think of one of the tech billionaires who have set aside some of their fortunes for good — Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg. Either way, it’s not an accessible concept, especially for millennial women who face not only a rocky economy and student loan debt, but also a pervasive wage gap. Yet, when I edit Money Diaries, I regularly see women including charitable giving among their monthly expenses. Sure, they might be paying off hundreds of dollars in student loan debt each month, but they’re also giving $50 to Planned Parenthood. It might not be enough to get their name on the wing of a hospital, but it’s something.