On October 21st, the Sacramento Kings in partnership with the Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx, Indiana Pacers and Fever, Dallas Mavericks and Wings, and Cleveland Cavaliers hosted the third Team Up for Change summit, designed to unite, inspire and activate in and around our communities.
The teams continued in their Team Up for Change efforts by hosting a Week of Action!
From October 22nd to the 28th, the Kings organization engaged young adults ages 14-24 through a variety of activations in collaboration with community organizations and local leaders devoted to empowering the next generation.
The week kicked off with Team up with Sac State.
This event was a social justice and activism panel, where Sacramento State students acquired tips and strategies for effective activism and learned how to get involved deeper in their community.
Next up was Team Up for Kids.
The Kings teamed up with the Food Literacy Center to distribute recipe kits to students at Leataata Floyd elementary school and their families. Kings Team Members volunteered to hand out kits, and gave out some Kings swag as well!
The Week of Action continued with, Team Up for Teens with Sol Collective.
In partnership with Sol Collective, the Kings helped distribute Sol CARES teen kits. These kits were designed by youth for youth to support each other through these difficult times. Each box is themed, from movie nights to self-care, and the boxes are aimed at bringing joy to young people and remind them that Sol and Sacramento CARE!
The first round of youth were nominated by community members and they ,inturn, have a chance to nominate the next group of teens to receive the gift. The joy of sharing and caring will continue through the end of the year!
October 26th was Mentor Monday.
Through a series of videos, Sacramento Kings players and coaches thanked their mentors as part of MENTOR CA’s #ThankYourMentor campaign, which launches in November.
Following up, was the career exploration panel.
The Sacramento Kings and College Track collaborated to bring local Sacramento high school students a Virtual Career Exploration and Passion Finding Workshop.
Kings Chairman and Owner Vivek Ranadivé welcomed students and shared his career journey from Bombay to the NBA. Additionally, his son Andre Ranadivé and his wife shared stories and insights with students on their career pathways. Also, Kings staff members from a range of departments gave students insights on their positions within the organization and answered questions about keys to their success and more.
In addition to the Week of Action, the team also launched a two-part online content series focused on continuing the conversation around civic engagement, social inequity and allyship.
Sacramento Kings Vice President of Kings Academy and Professional Development Galen Duncan hosted a two-part panel discussion addressing social justice, allyship, voting and more. He was joined by Player Development Coach Rico Hines, Player Development Assistant Coach Lindsey Harding, Player Development Assistant Coach Bobby Jackson, Head Athletic Trainer Joe Resendez, forward Jabari Parker, guard-forward DaQuan Jeffries and guard Kyle Guy.
While the Week of Action is coming to a close, the Kings commitment to making a change in our community is ever-flowing. Be on the lookout for more community events in the future!
For more information on Team Up for Change, visit Kings.com/TeamUpForChange