The Atlanta Hawks recently announced a new partnership with YMCA of Metro Atlanta. With the multi-year partnership, the YMCA and its signature ‘Y’ logo will become the Official Jersey Patch Partner of the Atlanta Hawks.
On Nov. 20, the Hawks and YMCA of Metro Atlanta made the official announcement at the Villages at Carver Family YMCA.
The event featured remarks by City of Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and a conversation with Trae Young, Hawks General Manager Landry Fields, and rookie Kobe Bufkin. The discussion was moderated by TNT Sports Host and Atlanta native Ernie Johnson, Jr.
Steve Koonin, CEO of Hawks and State Farm Arena, spoke about the important partnership with ADW.
“The big picture here is to elevate the ‘Y’ and create an environment that brings in more memberships, especially around sports in camps and other programs,” Koonin said. “I want kids around the world to see the ‘Y’ and see that on the players that you love. The ‘Y’ is a platform on a global basis. We discussed this with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, he started telling me about all the different YMCAs that the NBA has supported around the world. And we think it’s an opportunity to raise their profile. This is something we all know, but I don’t think we all use or it’s not top of mind. So every time you see Trae Young play or a highlight, the ‘Y’ is right there. So I think it’s going to inspire kids. I think it’s going to elevate membership. And we’ve got a lot of metrics that we put in place to make sure this is a success.”
In metro Atlanta, the Y serves families, youth and individuals throughout 12 counties. The organization provides critical programs to Atlantans including early learning, afterschool care, day and overnight camps, teens, safety around water, youth sports and more. Since 2020, the Y has supplied more than 1 million meals to community members facing food insecurity and worked to improve healthy equity in communities throughout the city through its partnerships with Morehouse School of Medicine and Good Samaritan Health Center. Each year, the YMCA of Metro Atlanta provides more than $5 million in financial assistance to help those in need access Y programs and services.
The Hawks will debut the new jerseys tonight at 7:30 p.m. during their In-Season Tournament game against the Indiana Pacers.
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