November 10, 2021 – The Charlotte Hornets Foundation today presented a $25,000 donation to the Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA) Fort Bragg’s Branch Improvement Project as its annual Military Grant. The grant was announced by Hornets Sports & Entertainment Executive Vice President & COO and Charlotte Hornets Foundation President James R. Jordan, a retired Command Sergeant Major who was stationed at Fort Bragg from 1993-2006, during an event to celebrate the launch of Operation Hornet, a new partnership between the Hornets and the ASYMCA Fort Bragg designed to support the students in the Operation Hero program.
“The Hornets organization is proud to have military as one of the key pillars of our Charlotte Hornets Foundation, and I am pleased to have this year’s Military Grant go to the Armed Services YMCA Fort Bragg,” said Jordan. “As a veteran who was stationed at Fort Bragg and continues to call Fayetteville home, I understand the importance of the ASYMCA and the services it provides. We are glad to be able to contribute to the efforts to maintain and improve the ASYMCA so it can continue to support the community for years to come.”
The Charlotte Hornets Foundation Military Grant will be used for maintenance and improvement items, including replacing exterior siding, painting the building’s exterior and metal awnings, interior flooring, office and educational furnishings, food pantry commercial refrigeration and more.
As one of only three nonprofit organizations authorized to operate on a military installation, the ASYMCA Fort Bragg offers programming and opportunities in support of the unique circumstances associated with military life. The ASYMCA provides no- to low-cost assistance including an on-site food pantry, newborn-necessity bundles, childcare, educational programs for children ages 18 months to school-aged, deployment support and more. In 2020 alone, the ASYMCA Fort Bragg provided families with over 36,000 pounds of food, no-cost educational support, 60 deployment quilts and over 800 baby bundles, and the organization is forecasting 100% increases in food pantry distribution and educational program participation as social-distancing restrictions are lifted.
“We greatly appreciate the Charlotte Hornets Foundation supporting our organization and the thousands of military families we serve,” said ASYMCA Fort Bragg Executive Director Jeremy Hester. “During the recent pandemic, the needs of our community and the popularity of our programs grew, but limitations forced us to halt maintenance and improvements to our facility. This grant will allow us to make needed repairs and upgrades to better serve our community as we return to normal programming and support services.”
At today’s event, the Charlotte Hornets launched Operation Hornet, a partnership with the ASYMCA Fort Bragg under which participating students will receive video messages and personalized letters offering words of encouragement from Hornets players and Hugo the Hornet, as well as a Hornets backpack, a pen and journal set, books, souvenirs and an opportunity to attend a Hornets home game in Charlotte. Approximately 40 students in the afterschool program taking place at Overhills Elementary School attended the launch event, where they saw an abbreviated Barings Book Bus show with Hugo, received receive free books and Bee-Ball for All basketballs and participated in a Hornets Hoops basketball clinic.