Sacramento, Calif. – On Tuesday, January 10, the Sacramento Kings will welcome local LGBTQ advocates, community members and partners to the team’s fourth Equality Night – the first at Golden 1 Center. Jason Collins, the NBA’s first openly gay player, will join the organization as they celebrate the Sacramento LGBTQ community accomplishments and salute their ongoing work. Throughout the day, Jason will visit students at a local middle school, as well as, join local advocates for a special tour looking back on his personal story.
“It is incredibly important that we can use the power of the NBA’s platform to reach new audiences and help serve as an agent of social change in our community,’ said Kings President Chris Granger. “I’m thrilled about how we’ve all come together – as a community – to create a great night for everyone.”
Through a partnership between the Sacramento Kings Foundation and The California Endowment, Jason will begin his day at Will C. Wood Middle School, where the “Love for the Win Club” supports LGBTQ students. Students will be able to ask Jason about his journey and experience as an NBA player and his role as an advocate for the LGBTQ community.
“This is a tremendous opportunity to bring young adults, community leaders, advocates, and fans together – all standing for human rights,” said Jason Collins. “I want to thank the Kings and The California Endowment for their tremendous leadership.”
“The California Endowment is proud to partner with the Sacramento Kings and local organizations to celebrate inclusion. Our community is made stronger when we stand together and stay loud for equality,” said Daniel Zingale, Senior Vice President at The California Endowment. “We recognize the extraordinary impact the entire day – including the events leading up to the game and all of the activations – will have on our community. We are honored to stand shoulder to shoulder in support of our LGBTQ family.”
Following the school visit, Jason and Kings Foundation Executive Director Scott Moak will head to the Sacramento LGBT Center for a tour to highlight the resources the Center provides to the local community.
Later in the evening as the Sacramento Kings host the Detroit Pistons, the entire arena will be programmed throughout the night with special salutes, concourse activations, giveaways, and a unique halftime entertainment selection that looks back at Sacramento’s 2016 Pride Parade. To open the night, the Sacramento Gay Men’s Chorus will perform for Kings fans for the third consecutive year by singing the National Anthem for the first time at Golden 1 Center. On VSP SKEYE Vision during game breaks, the organization will share special videos honoring key dates and important figures in LGBTQ history.
The Sacramento Kings have a continued history of serving the region’s diverse organizations and groups, enhancing the lives of the people we engage and making the world a better place. Every year, they join forces with The California Endowment for the Sacramento Pride Parade to support Sacramento’s LGBT community and the advocates who strive for a more inclusive society.
The team’s new home, Golden 1 Center, became the first arena in the world to fully accommodate Transgender guests by installing 23 all-gender restrooms. The Kings will continue to use their platform to stand with the LGBTQ community by profiling LGBTQ athletes and leaders, supporting local causes and welcoming entertainers and organizations to use the team’s NBA stage.
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