FORCE4CHANGE EXPANDS SEASON-LONG INITIATIVES
SEATTLE — Force4Change, the Seattle Storm social justice platform established in 2020, announced today the expansion of its season-long initiatives benefitting local non-profits that work directly with BIPOC youth. Tied to the final stats of each Storm game, the initiatives are now collectively called “Stats for Youth.
“It’s been rewarding to see our work with Force4Change grow at such a fast pace. This has been possible thanks to the support of our incredible team of corporate partners, the Storm community and the Storm Foundation,” said Crystal Langhorne, Director of Community Engagement and Force4Change. “We look forward to continuing to positively impact the BIPOC youth of Seattle.”
Force4Change raised nearly $300,000 in 2021 supporting organizations and individuals that promote racial, social and civic justice—almost double the amount of its inaugural year’s contributions. Over the past two years, Alaska Airlines has donated a total of one million airline miles, while BECU and Carter Subaru have each donated $10,000 through these efforts.
In 2022, the Storm have added Coinbase and Denali Advanced Integration to its roster of corporate partners supporting Force4Change and the Stats for Youth program, as seen below.
Free Throws for the Future presented by Alaska Airlines, is back for its third season. For every free throw made by the Storm, Alaska Airlines donates 2,000 airline miles to the Technology Access Foundation (TAF)—a Seattle-based nonprofit leader redefining K-12 public education throughout the Washington state. In addition, the Storm and Alaska Airlines will make a $5,000 contribution to TAF at the end of the season. Fans can also get involved by donating their unused miles via Alaska’s LIFT Miles program.
Community Assist presented by BECU, enters its second year tallying Storm assists over the course of the season. For every 50 assists, BECU makes a $1,000 contribution (up to $10,000) to Young Women Empowered (Y-WE)—an organization that develops leadership, environmental, tech and wellness training to diverse female youth in Seattle.
3’s for Treehouse presented by Carter Subaru also returns for the second season. For each three-pointer, Carter Subaru will donate $50 to Treehouse—a non-profit serving youth in foster care, up to $10,000 by the end of the season.
The Blockchain presented by Coinbase is one of the new Force4Change programs. Coinbase will donate $70 for each Storm block this season (up to $10,000) towards TechBridge—a nonprofit that uses technology to expand the impact of other nonprofits under four pillars: Hunger Relief, Homeless Support, Social Justice, and Workforce Development.
Boards for Communities presented by Denali Advanced Integration rounds out the Stats for Youth team for 2022. Denali will donate $10 per rebound to Communities in School—the largest, most effective dropout prevention organization dedicated to keeping kids in school and helping them succeed.
Fans are invited to follow the progress of each initiative throughout the season on the Storm social media channels and on the Storm website (www.stormbasketball.com).
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