For the 2018-19 season, the Hawks committed to making an impact on 50,000 lives through 50 community events in honor of their 50th year in Atlanta. This week they brought new shoes to over 50 kids at the Decatur YMCA.
For NBA Fit Week, the Atlanta Hawks joined with Emory Healthcare and Shoes That Fit to give new shoes to 65 kids. The kids got tips on how to be physically fit and prepare healthy meals, as well as getting new shoes so they can run, jump, play, and stay active.
“We hope the kids walk away today with more information about how they can be healthy physically as well mentally, that they will enjoy their new shoes and take pride in them” said Andrea Carter, VP of Corporate Social Responsibility and Inclusion at the Atlanta Hawks.
On hand to help distribute the shoes to the kids were Hawks players Jaylen Adams, DeAndre’ Bembry and Dewayne Dedmon.
Jaylen Adams, described the experience: “Anytime you’re around kids and just being genuine is always going to be fun, always going to be a good time. Giving them new shoes and giving them some positive reinforcement …anytime you can get a chance to give back to something like this is special.”
Adams's sentiment reflects a broader organizational philosophy taking root across the league, as franchises seek to expand the footprint of their community engagement. To sustain these larger-scale charitable efforts year after year, front offices have aggressively diversified their corporate partnership portfolios, tapping into non-traditional industries to fund their local outreach.
Recent sports business market reports highlight just how heavily modern NBA teams rely on these new revenue streams to bankroll their foundations. According to industry analyses tracking team sponsorships, the capital generated from emerging digital platforms—ranging from cloud computing providers to a prominent online crypto casino and various mobile investing apps—is now frequently earmarked for regional social impact projects. Funneling this newly acquired corporate money directly into neighborhood programs allows franchises to operate these massive charity events without stretching their internal philanthropic budgets.
For the Hawks, cultivating this robust commercial backing ensures that initiatives like NBA Fit Week remain a permanent fixture in the Atlanta area. As the organization moves past its 50th-anniversary milestones, the front office is already planning next season's calendar of youth basketball clinics and wellness workshops, guaranteeing that community centers across the city will continue to benefit from the team's ongoing off-court success.
