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Site comes together quickly to unite athletes in relief effort

It was hardly a surprise to see the number of sports figures who have stepped up during this global pandemic.

There have been too many good acts to single out just one, as most of us have sheltered in place over the past several weeks. When a few owners, shamefully, decided not to pay stadium workers, players stepped up and footed the bill. When some media companies said they wouldn’t pay freelancers, newspaper stories and blog posts shamed several into changing their minds (though, regrettably, some still are not paying their freelancers).

I want to highlight one cause, though, that appears to be making a real difference and will be running all month. Athletes for Relief is set up like a silent auction with athletes and companies donating memorabilia, like a signed jersey from soccer player Rose Lavelle or a signed Golden Bear hat and glove from Jack Nicklaus — the two highest grossing items on the AthletesRelief.org website as of late last week.

Last week a signed hat and glove from Jack Nicklaus and a signed jersey from Rose Lavelle were two of the highest-grossing items on the website.AthletesRelief.org

How you can help

 You can individually give via AthletesRelief.org and share the site on social media.
 Brands, teams, leagues and sponsors can donate items and create a matching program. Or they can use the Center for Disaster Philanthropy as a beneficiary of the cause-related programs they already are doing.

■ Athletes and their managers of all levels can participate. They all have something of value. They all have friends, families and fans who want to support them, albeit at different levels.

Rather than bidding on items, people give a donation of at least $25 to be entered in a drawing to win the item. Last week, the site passed the $100,000 mark in donations. And it procured a signed Chicago Cubs jersey from Hollywood actor Vince Vaughn, showing that the push has extended beyond sports.

The idea was the brainchild of David Schwab, an executive vice president for Octagon. When I reached out to Schwab last week to ask him about the initiative, he agreed to talk, saying, “Whatever we can do to raise money, I am in.”

AthletesRelief.org

But when I got him on the phone, he was more hesitant. He believed in the mission, of course. But the idea has many helpers, both inside and outside of Octagon.

Schwab wanted to make clear that this is an idea that is bigger than a single agency. Instead it is a push, Schwab said, that is being supported by all corners of the sports business.

“Right now, all we’re trying to do is get more athletes in and get more brands to participate and match funds or support and raise dollars,” he said.

The idea came about when Schwab started texting colleagues the day after the NBA canceled its season. At the time, athletes were signaling on social media that they wanted to help in their local communities. Media stories started dropping about team owners who pledged to help in their community.

Schwab and his colleagues tried to come up with ideas that the entire athlete community would support — either socially or with memorabilia — as they sat in their homes and waited for the virus outbreak to subside.

They researched a charity that could serve many needs, from equipment to food to infrastructure, and landed on the Center for Disaster Philanthropy.

Within 24 hours, they hatched a plan and had a website up and running through a fundraising platform called Pledge It.

The group started talking to people, asking for one signed item with the pledge that 100% of the proceeds go to the charity. Anyone who donated money would be entered into a drawing for the item of their choice, and the donations per item are listed on the website.

The idea is that competition would help push the fundraising revenue even higher.

The site launched with 15 athletes, including Steph Curry (with a signed jersey), Michael Phelps (with a signed swimsuit) and Simone Biles (with a signed leotard).

As of last week, the site had items from around 125 athletes, including Mike Tyson, Elena Delle Donne, David Ortiz, Shaun White and Tony Hawk.

One player in the Oakland A’s farm system, Austin Beck, saw the site and created his own account, donating a game-used glove that had raised $480 last week.

John Ourand can be reached at jourand@sportsbusinessjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @Ourand_SBJ and read his twice-weekly newsletter.

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