Foundation Raises More Than $61,000 During Gender Equality Month

In March the Sharks Foundation partnered with various female-led and equity-driven non-profit organizations during Gender Equality Month presented by
Kaiser Permanente
.
The Foundation launched the campaign with a Hockey is For Everyone-themed auction on March 1, which raised $3,000 for

. In the words of BORP Executive Director Rick Smith, the funds raised "make it possible for youth with disabilities to enjoy all the benefits that come from participation in sports and recreation."
On March 5 when the Sharks faced the Nashville Predators, the team celebrated

presented by
Zoom
. Sharks players arrived to SAP Center

Before the game, sled hockey player Zachary Nazareno participated in a ceremonial puck drop, and American Sign Language interpreter

, various game calls, and media interviews.
Special Olympics Northern California
was the game's 50/50 Raffle presented by
Cache Creek Casino Resort
beneficiary and raised $6,370 to support their athletes.

An additional part of the HIFE campaign included partnering with Zoom to provide a $20,000
Community Assist Grant
to
Local Color
, and host a
Ceramic Shark Head Auction
which featured ceramic shark heads decorated by Local Color artists that were then signed by various Sharks players. The unique auction raised an additional $6,000 for the non-profit.
As part of the Sharks and Zoom's ongoing Teal Inner Circle partnership, the two organizations also worked with six artists from Local Color to create the
Zoom Suites Artist Murals
that live on the Zoom Suites Penthouse Level within SAP Center. The murals tell each artist's individual story about what San Jose means to them.

In line with the month's theme, employees from Kaiser and the Sharks participated in a clothing drive for
Dress for Success
. In addition to the in-kind donations of women's professional attire, the Foundation awarded Dress for Success a $5,000 Community Assist Grant in partnership with Kaiser Permanente.
March 15 marked the fourth annual Women of Teal Night presented by Kaiser Permanente. The evening began with a pregame networking event featuring an esteemed panel of women leaders,including Co-CEO of
Bay Area Women's Sports Initiative
(BAWSI) Dana Weintraub, Managing Director at
SAP Labs
, US, Anamarie Franc, Executive Vice President & Chief People Officer of
Bloom Energy
Sonja Wilkerson, and President & General Manager of
NBC Bay Area/KNTV
and
Telemundo 48 Area de la Bahia/KSTS
Stacy Owen, while Sharks Vice President & General Counsel Cassie McBride served as moderator. During the event, Sharks Director of Social Impact, Heather Hooper, presented BAWSI with a $15,000 Community Assist Grant in partnership with Kaiser Permanente to support their mission to mobilize the women's sports community to engage, inspire and empower the children who need us most.

Following the event, the Sharks continued to celebrate and acknowledge women in hockey. Amelia Schimmel, the PA Announcer for the Oakland Athletics, served as the guest PA Announcer for the Sharks as they took on the Florida Panthers.

The Foundation hosted an auction which featured pieces created by local female artists. The fundraiser provided 30% of each piece's net proceeds back to the artists and resulted in a $2,800 donation to
Teen Success, Inc.
which will support underserved teen mothers and help them become educated, self-sufficient valued members of society.
Funds raised through the 50/50 Raffle raised $3,675 for
Scientific Adventures for Girls
to assist their STEM-focused after-school programming for Bay Area youth.
On March 23, the Sharks Foundation introduced its newest
Tealtop Street Hockey Court
at Applegate Park in partnership with the
City of Merced
,
El Capitan
, a JdV by Hyatt Hotel, and Sara Johnson Kerrest and Frederic Kerrest, who donated $25,000 to the Foundation and helped bring this court to life.

After the official ribbon-cutting ceremony, Sharks alumi Scott Hannan and Devin Setoguchi joined S.J. Sharkie and children from the
Boys and Girls Club of Merced County
in an inaugural game on the new court. In addition to the court, the site received a set of new street hockey gear to give the city the tools needed to teach the game to local youth all year round.
In total, the Sharks Foundation dedicated $61,845 and impacted over 18,473 lives in the month of March.