SEATTLE STORM AND STARBUCKS PARTNER TO UPLIFT THE COMMUNITY AND CHAMPION EQUITY IN HOMETOWN

Starbucks becomes the first Founding Partner of the Seattle Storm Center for Basketball Performance

SEATTLE, WA, UNITED STATES, April 17, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Seattle Storm today announced it has brewed a purpose-led, community-driven partnership with Starbucks, making the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee the first Founding Partner of the Storm’s new state-of-the-art Center for Basketball Performance and the Official Coffee & Tea of the Seattle Storm.

This hometown partnership illustrates both organizations’ commitment to Seattle by focusing on two areas of significance: housing and community impact. As part of this shared commitment to the community, Starbucks will become a Supporting Partner of the most comprehensive youth basketball program in Storm history, helping provide free scholarships to underserved youth in the Puget Sound Region to attend camps and clinics.

Together, the Storm and Starbucks will create an environment for local nonprofits to amplify resources available to those in need, invite community members to experience home games, and create a sense of belonging at the new Storm Center for Basketball Performance.

Starbucks and the Storm will also launch Rebounds for Housing, a new, season-long initiative through which the organizations will donate a minimum of $20,000 to the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle (ULMS) to help our unhoused community. This effort will become part of the Storm’s social justice platform, Force4Change, and its Stats For Youth program. Thanks to Starbucks, every rebound by a Storm player this season will generate a donation to the ULMS, a non-profit offering a wide range of programs and services designed to address housing needs, financial literacy barriers, and access to basic economic resources in low-income and otherwise vulnerable communities.

“We are excited to partner with Starbucks and the Storm on Rebounds for Housing. This important partnership will provide a pathway to safe, affordable housing on fair terms for individuals and families we serve,” said Michelle Merriweather, President and CEO of the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle. “The Urban League team is filled with fans of both organizations and this opportunity to work together to provide necessary resources to one of our community's biggest challenges, is game and life changing for so many!”

“Starbucks understands that our community partnerships send a clear message about what we value,” said Starbucks’ Executive Advisor to the office of the CEO, Zabrina Jenkins. “As a long-time Starbucks partner (employee), and a life-long basketball player, I am honored and proud to announce our partnership with the Seattle Storm. The WNBA and its fans are among the most community-centered sports fans in the world, and through our involvement with the Storm, Starbucks is able to further our mission to nurture the limitless possibilities of human connection and promote our values of equity and inclusion.”

This partnership comes at a historic time for the Storm, as it prepares to inaugurate the franchise’s first-ever practice facility, designed and built specifically for the team and front office. In addition, the Storm’s new headquarters will support bringing people together and fostering a sense of inclusion and belonging through community programming. As the first Official Partner of the barrier-breaking building, Starbucks has shown a commitment to supporting the Storm’s vision to drive connection within the sports community and beyond.

“Starbucks has such a long history of uplifting the Seattle community and far beyond that. As we built out this partnership it was clear community impact would be the centering and connecting thread for us," said Alisha Valavanis, Storm President and CEO. "Starbucks joining as our first Founding Partner not only sets the right trajectory for the Storm in our new building but meets the incredible moment that is women's sports in this country. We are thrilled to welcome Starbucks to the team!"

The Seattle Storm Center for Basketball Performance will open ahead of the team’s preseason Training Camp in late April, and the Storm’s youth basketball and community programs at the facility will begin this summer.

Single-game Tickets, Season Tickets, Storm Mini Plans, and Group Experiences are available for the 2024 season. For more information, visit the official Seattle Storm website or call 206-217-WNBA (9622).

Emily Crawford
Luminosity PR
+1 206-880-3977
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