Atlanta Hawks and YMCA of Metro Atlanta Announce Jersey Patch Sponsorship
Starting in the 2017-18 season, the NBA was the first major sports league in the US (outside of soccer) to allow teams to sell advertising space on jerseys. The Atlanta Hawks have not participated in that until now.
The YMCA of Metro Atlanta and the Atlanta Hawks today announced a multi-year partnership in which the Y and its signature ‘Y’ logo will become the Official Jersey Patch Partner of the Atlanta Hawks.
The Hawks and the Y plan to collaborate on major community initiatives aimed at improving the well-being and health of Atlantans with a focus on increasing access to youth sports, especially basketball.
“Everything the YMCA of Metro Atlanta does is grounded in meeting the unique needs of communities – and we can’t do it alone. We’re grateful to partner with the Atlanta Hawks. Together we can increase access and involvement and provide the opportunity for more people to discover their potential and thrive,” said Lauren Koontz, president and CEO of the YMCA of Metro Atlanta. “We’re proud to partner with an organization that has shared values of impacting the lives of Atlantans through providing access to youth sports, and curating community programming.”
Through the partnership, Hawks players, coaching staff and talent will amplify the Y’s robust youth programming and create inspirational content for the next generation with authentic stories from executives, coaches and players who started their basketball journey at their local Y.
Additionally, the Hawks will also support the Y in a variety of causes in which they share passion: urgent community needs, promoting social responsibility and uplifting inclusive communities with strong DEI values. Utilizing the in-arena experience and its global marketing assets, the Hawks will also launch a series of campaigns to attract new Y members and raise funds to support the Y’s mission.
“For more than 150 years, the Y has practiced and exemplified the ideals of service and building healthy, inclusive communities that we have emulated as a franchise. At our core, we are a community asset, and we are honored to partner with such an esteemed global organization with a strong local presence and use our platform to help them serve the youth and families of Atlanta through service, resources, and sport,” said Atlanta Hawks & State Farm Arena CEO Steve Koonin.
“The synergy between the mission of the Hawks and the Y is so authentic and genuine. As a kid who discovered his love for the game at the Lakewood YMCA in California, I know this partnership and the access it will provide will be meaningful for the basketball community in Atlanta and beneficial in the holistic development of our youth,” Atlanta Hawks General Manager Landry Fields said.
In metro Atlanta, the Y serves families, youth and individuals throughout 12 counties. The organization provides critical programs to Atlantans including early learning, afterschool care, day and overnight camps, teens, safety around water, youth sports and more. Since 2020, the Y has supplied more than 1 million meals to community members facing food insecurity and worked to improve healthy equity in communities throughout the city through its partnerships with Morehouse School of Medicine and Good Samaritan Health Center. Each year, the YMCA of Metro Atlanta provides more than $5 million in financial assistance to help those in need access Y programs and services.
“It is a true partnership and joint mission to increase access and opportunity for youth, families and seniors to the Y,” said Jeff Beckham, chair of the YMCA of Metro Atlanta Board of Directors. The Y is investing in a strategic and aligned partnership that will leverage the Hawks’ reach and platforms to bolster fundraising and enhance Y programming resources to serve more people across Atlanta.”
As the Hawks Official Jersey Patch Partner, the classic ‘Y’ wordmark will be featured on all Hawks uniforms as well as the College Park Skyhawks and the physical uniforms of Hawks Talon GC, the organization’s NBA G League (College Park Skyhawks) and NBA 2K League affiliates (Hawks Talon GC) respectively.
The Hawks will debut the new jerseys tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. during their In-Season Tournament game against the Indiana Pacers at the award-winning State Farm Arena.
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