PITTSBURGH, June 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The DICK'S
Sporting Goods Foundation Sports Matter Giving Truck is hitting the
road again for a third tour around the country, this time working
exclusively with girls' sports programs in under-resourced
communities.
Professional female athletes Sabrina
Ionescu, Sam Mewis,
Elena Delle Donne, Swin Cash Arike
Ogunbowale, and Amy Rodriguez
will help The DICK'S Foundation provide 15,000 gifts of sports
equipment and surprise kids at select stops along the Giving Truck
route. The Giving Truck will travel to eight cities across the
U.S.— Boston, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Kansas
City, and Knoxville
—throughout the month of July.
In Kansas City, the Giving
Truck will make a stop at the unveiling of a newly installed
mini-pitch, as part of The DICK'S Foundation's presenting
partnership with the U.S. Soccer Foundation's United for
Girls initiative. The partnership includes a three-year,
$5 million grant that will be used to
create 15 mini-pitches in underserved communities and double the
number of girls impacted by the Foundation's soccer programs. Five
mini-pitches were installed in 2020, with an additional five
planned for 2021.
Research shows that by the age of 14, girls quit sports at two
times the rate of boys.1
By gifting sports equipment, The DICK'S Foundation aims to remove
the financial burden from families to keep young female athletes
playing the sports they love.
"It is crucial that we embrace the power of women and girls in
sports, both as a company and as a foundation," said
Aimee Watters, Executive
Director of The DICK'S Sporting Goods Foundation. "Especially as we
turn a corner on the pandemic, we are thrilled to see girls
returning to the sports they love this summer. We are also
especially excited to increase the number of gifts we are
distributing, as it's so important to provide as many kids as we
can with the equipment they need to keep playing."
The Giving Truck first hit the road in December 2020 giving 10,000 gifts of sports
equipment to youth sports organizations in under-resourced
communities and completed its second tour in March 2021 providing 10,000 pieces of equipment
to youth baseball and softball athletes. The Giving Truck has
provided 20,000 gifts throughout 16 cities in the U.S. to-date.
Artwork on the truck includes graphic imagery with the signature
bold, bright colors by artist Megan
Lewis (@URBANHIPSTA) and will also feature video messages
from each of the professional athletes, accessible by scanning the
QR codes within the truck's artwork.
The DICK'S Foundation pre-selected a number of athletes from
girls' sports organizations to distribute gifts to from the Giving
Truck in the eight cities it's visiting. Foundation Partner Good
Sports has prepacked bags for each individual child at these
organizations, ensuring each young athlete has their own equipment
to safely enjoy their favorite sports. Included in each bag is a
DSG Brand sports bra as part of The DICK'S Foundation's previously
announced commitment to donate 100,000 sports bras to youth
athletes in under-resourced communities. The sports bra is
considered a critical piece of equipment for women and one that
often goes unprovided.
Since 2014, DICK'S and The DICK'S Foundation have committed over
$145 million to support young
athletes through its Sports Matter initiative. Sports Matter raises
awareness for the youth sports funding crisis as the fight to save
youth sports continues across the U.S.
For more information on how your team can apply for funding or
to donate to Sports Matter, please visit SportsMatter.org.
1Sabo, D. and Veliz, P. (2008). Go Out and Play:
Youth Sports in America. East Meadow,
NY: Women Sports Foundation
About DICK'S Sporting Goods, Inc.
Founded in 1948, DICK'S Sporting Goods is a leading omni-channel
sporting goods retailer offering an extensive assortment of
authentic, high-quality sports equipment, apparel, footwear and
accessories. As of May 1, 2021, the
Company operated 730 DICK'S Sporting Goods locations across
the United States, serving and
inspiring athletes and outdoor enthusiasts to achieve their
personal best through a combination of its dedicated teammates,
in-store services and unique specialty shop-in-shops dedicated to
Team Sports, Athletic Apparel, Golf, Outdoor, Fitness and
Footwear.
Headquartered in Pittsburgh,
DICK'S also owns and operates Golf Galaxy and Field & Stream
specialty stores, as well as GameChanger, a youth sports mobile app
for scheduling, communications, live scorekeeping and video
streaming. DICK'S offers its products through a dynamic eCommerce
platform that is integrated with its store network and provides
athletes with the convenience and expertise of a 24-hour
storefront. For more information, visit the Investor Relations page
at dicks.com.
About The DICK'S Sporting Goods Foundation
The DICK'S
Sporting Goods Foundation is a tax exempt 501(c)(3) non-profit
corporation with a mission to inspire and enable sports
participation. It was created by DICK'S Sporting Goods, Inc. as a
private corporate foundation to support DICK'S charitable and
philanthropic activities
Contact: DICK'S Sporting Goods and The DICK'S
Sporting Goods Foundation – press@dcsg.com
Category: Company
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