New York City FC announced a multi-year partnership with the Jackie Robinson Foundation (JRF) on Tuesday in support of Black Lives Matter initiatives focused in and around the city's five boroughs.
Per a Tuesday release from the club, NYCFC will be supporting the foundation with a multi-year grant to sponsor a Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholar from the five boroughs who will be selected in the spring of 2021 as part of the class of 2025. The grant will provide the scholar with a four-year college scholarship and participation in JRF’s year-round Mentoring and Leadership Development Program. NYCFC will use the club’s platform to bring awareness to the foundation's work.
The Jackie Robinson Foundation provides four-year scholarships and comprehensive support services to students attending over 100 colleges each year throughout the country. Earlier this year, NYCFC announced a series of commitments in support of Black Lives Matter causes, which the Jackie Robinson Foundation will support to help the club's efforts to impact the community.
“This partnership will continue to grow and expand creatively over the years with the aim of ensuring that Jackie Robinson’s commitment to equal opportunity and humanitarianism will be carried forward in the lives of our players, fans, staff and partners using the power of soccer," NYCFC CEO Brad Sims said in Tuesday's release. “We are tremendously proud to be the soccer team of New York City – and as such, we will focus our efforts in and around the five boroughs to have an even more meaningful impact on the local communities we are honored to represent.”
As part of the partnership, the Jackie Robinson Museum, which is currently under construction in Manhattan and slated to open later this year, will provide another venue for joint educational programming and other activities.
NYCFC players will also be a key part of the partnership through ambassador programming and training and education.
