CHICAGO LEADERS PLEDGE TO MATCH SKY PLAYERS’ DONATIONS TO #SKYTAKESACTION INITIATIVE
CHICAGO – Bob Arthur along with his wife Susan Anderson, together with Chicago Sky owner Michael Alter and minority owner John Rogers have announced that they will individually match all player donations from 2020 WNBA season to the #SkyTakesAction initiative.
Under the #SkyTakesAction campaign, announced earlier this season, Sky players have committed to personally donate $10 per point per game, in addition to $100 for every game win, and $50 for any loss in the 2020 season. All proceeds to the fund will go directly to Black-led organizations that support local social justice causes and community empowerment in the Chicagoland area. Anderson, Arthur, Alter, and Rogers all committed to match the players contributions, quadrupling the financial success of #SkyTakesAction.
“As owners of the Sky, John [Rogers] and I are honored to join our players and support their unprecedented commitment to social justice,” said Sky owner Michael Alter. “We could not be more proud of their efforts. We will personally match their contributions to the organizations they have identified to carry out the important work in our communities. We are also thrilled that Bob Arthur and Susan Anderson, long time champions of the Sky, will also be matching the players donations.”
Magellan Corporation, a global distributor of specialty steel, founded by Bob Arthur, has been a partner and supporter of the Chicago Sky for more than a third of its lifetime as a franchise. The Deerfield, Ill. company became the team’s first individual jersey sponsor in 2014 and has been an active supporter of women-forward initiatives, including in athletics, STEM studies and civic opportunities.
“Susan and I are happy to support the Chicago Sky players,” Magellan founder and CEO Bob Arthur said. “Our gift is in honor of James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, ‘Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.’”
A player-first initiative, #SkyTakesAction was formed to satisfy the mission of all 12 Sky players ahead of embarking to Bradenton, Fla. for the 2020 WNBA season, with the help of Sam Acho, former Chicago Bears linebacker and founder of Athletes for Justice.
“I think it’s incredibly special when you have people like Bob and Susan, as well as Michael and John, who get behind our players and let them know that not only do they mean something to them personally, but also what they stand for – that makes it much more personal,” said Sky General Manager and Head Coach James Wade. “It really connects us like family. I’m very proud of what Bob, John, and Michael have all done as far as matching the players and what they want to give. It says a lot about them, it says a lot about what they stand for, and it’s also one of the many reasons that I’m so happy to be a part of this organization. This is a big moment for our organization.”
One-hundred percent of contributions go directly to Chicago-based organizations chosen by the players to support social justices causes in the Chicagoland area, and effect immediate change.
“Even though we aren’t there physically, Chicago is still home,” said Sky forward Gabby Williams. “We want to use this season as an opportunity to change our community and use our platforms in the most efficient way possible, which means getting as many people involved as we can in our initiative. #SkyTakesAction is about longevity and togetherness. It’s about inspiring others and teaching everyone that it doesn’t take much to change someone’s life, or improve somebody’s situation as long as we work together. Of course, our goal is to raise absolutely as much money as possible for the organizations we’ve selected. But it’s also about education and changing the norm. Hopefully, this will inspire and teach our fans and those who hear us to increase their level of involvement in the community.”
Fans are encouraged to donate here. The beneficiaries of the campaign are By the Hand, BYP100, Movement 4 Black Lives, Firehouse Community Arts Center and Future Ties. For a full list of player initiatives being supported for the 2020 WNBA season, visit sky.wnba.com/sky-player-initiative.
Within the course of the first eight games of the 2020 WNBA season, total donations have equaled $14,038. Sky players have raised $7,570 and fans have donated $6,468.