With sporting events all across the world coming to a halt when COVID-19 hit, it’s been interesting to watch how pro teams have rapidly responded to different ways of engaging with their cities & supporting the local community during such a challenging time.
We have seen some excellent examples of the power that a professional sports team can have on positively impacting its community and supporting the organizations that need it most when the going gets tough. Initiatives have ranged from large scale meal pack activations to simple deliveries to put a smile on a supporters face and let them know the team has got their back like they always have theirs.
Here are a few (of the many) I thought were leading the way in their response to the fan / community engagement initiatives in response to COVID-19.
Atlanta people are proud of their city (we saw this first hand during the Super Bowl) and the Hawks engage their community in a unique way with previous initiatives including a Million Meal Pack alongside their sponsor State Farm.
In response to COVID-19, Atlanta Hawks launched Hawks at Home, an innovative virtual program created to educate and help youth stay active during this time of social distancing. Due to the pandemic, the Hawks have transitioned to a virtual summer camp format that will allow kids across the state of Georgia and beyond to learn basketball skills from Atlanta Hawks coaches, players, and Hawks Basketball Academy instructors, all from the safety of their own homes.
It’s no secret that Rosterfy are a fan of the Dolphins. They actually use Rosterfy to power their global leading ‘Special Teams’ volunteer program that boasts more than 3,500 volunteers who complete more than 50,000 hours of community service in the South Florida Community.
Starting June 1, the newly formed Miami Dolphins Food Relief Program, will provide a minimum of 1,000 meals each weekday out of Hard Rock Stadium
On Sundays, the Dolphins will work with area churches, local leadership, and community groups to purchase food from local restaurants to provide a minimum of 1,000 meals each Sunday to be distributed to those dealing with food insecurity.
Want to learn more about the Dolphins community initiatives? Join us for our webinar as we chat Leslie Nixon and Callie Newbanks from the Dolphins community team to hear about their programs and learnings for pro teams in the community.
Listen to the webinar recording here.
The Warriors knew they had a role to play and felt a responsibility to use their enormous social media following to educate their fan base on proper practices during COVID-19.
The Warriors looked at innovative ways they could work with partners to get the message out. One of the first sponsors to decide to go digital with them was Kaiser Permanente, one of the nation’s largest nonprofit healthcare providers, with headquarters in the Warriors’ backyard. Working together, Kaiser Permanente and the Warriors produced a series of short COVID-19 preparedness videos.
In an effort to help maintain a sufficient blood supply and to avoid a potential shortage during these uncertain times, the Philadelphia Eagles and the American Red Cross, with the support of Budweiser, hosted its second community blood drive at Lincoln Financial Field on Thursday, May 21. The blood drive collected 90 pints of blood, which has the potential to help up to 270 patients.
The first Eagles Community Blood Drive, held on April 16, collected 74 pints of blood, which has the potential to help up to 222 patients. As part of a larger $1 million contribution to help combat the impact of COVID-19 in the City of Philadelphia, Lurie and the Eagles donated $250,000 to the American Red Cross of Southeastern PA Region last month through the National Football League's Draft-A-Thon.
Written by Dom Leyden, Head of Sales, USA
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