Dick’s Sporting Goods and The Dick’s Sporting Goods Foundation announced Tuesday they will give $1.4 million to support youth sports teams in need beginning this holiday season through community events, grant programs and a donation multiplier on DonorsChoose.
Since 2014, Dick’s and the Dick’s Foundation have committed more than $100 million and have supported more than one million young athletes through its Sports Matter initiative. Additionally, Sports Matter raises awareness for the youth sports funding crisis as the fight to save youth sports continues across the U.S.
“At Dick’s, we believe that sports matter and during the holiday season, we’re proud to help ensure kids have the chance to play,” said Lauren Hobart, president of Dick’s Sporting Goods and The Dick’s Sporting Goods Foundation. “The funds that are raised in-store for our Foundation’s Sports Matter program play a major role in our ability to give year-round.”
Throughout the holiday season, Dick’s will be collecting donations for the Foundation’s Sports Matter program at registers in stores nationwide. Customers will have the opportunity to donate following their purchase. All funds that are raised are then passed on to teams in need in the form of monetary grants, equipment or facility improvements.
In addition, Dick’s plans to host nearly 20 in-store shopping events this Holiday season where professional athletes such as Russell Wilson, Allen Robinson, Delanie Walker, Trae Young and many others will take deserving kids shopping in local Dick’s Sporting Goods stores. These events will give hundreds of kids a once-in-a-lifetime experience with their local sports heroes this Holiday season.
During these in-store shopping events, The Dick’s Sporting Goods Foundation will also provide participating organizations with a total of more than $100,000 in grants to help support their needs and ensure kids continue to have access to the sports they love. Information on these local events will be distributed at a later date.
In addition to the shopping events, stores across the country will be activating against The Dick’s Foundation’s $1.5 million Sports Matter Community Grant Program that benefits high-poverty, local youth sports teams, leagues or schools. Store associates at the Company’s more than 860 Dick’s Sporting Goods, Field & Stream and Golf Galaxy stores nationwide have the ability to provide local teams with monetary grants. This is the second year of this store-based grant program. Grants will be distributed through the end of January.
“The grant program really allows them to have an impact in their communities with the funds they’ve raised,” Hobart added. “Teams are able to do things like purchase equipment, subsidize participation fees for families or repair local fields, and our store associates are able to honor these teams in-store with a grant presentation – it’s really a special moment.”
As part of this announcement, The Dick’s Sporting Goods Foundation will also be supporting its long-time partner DonorsChoose in a big way this holiday season. Starting on December 12, while funds last, The Dick’s Foundation will triple-match all Sports Matter projects on DonorsChoose. This means that every $10 donation to these projects will become $30 for those teams in need.
