Adidas Wins the First Sports Sustainability Leadership Award
Athletes, leagues, teams and members of the sporting community gathered at L.A. LIVE’s The Novo, Tuesday, July 9, to celebrate those who have used the power of sports to make a positive impact on society at the fifth annual Sports Humanitarian Awards presented by ESPN and sponsored by Bristol-Myers Squibb Company.This year’s winners include (see below for descriptions on each award):
- Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award Winner: Chris Long (Retired NFL Player)
- League Humanitarian Leadership Award Winner: National Hockey League
- Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year Winner: Chicago Fire Soccer Club
- Corporate Community Impact Award Winner: Under Armour
- Sports Sustainability Leadership Award Winner: adidas
- Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award Presented by Anthem Foundation Winners: Harrison Barnes, Matthew Diaz, Lisa Parks and Yasmine Sanchez
- Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Award Presented by UFC Honoree: Lina Khalifeh
- Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Award Presented by Bristol-Myers Squibb Honoree: Tyler Trent
ESPN granted more than $1 million to honoree and awardees’ selected charities. The evening benefited The Stuart Scott Memorial Cancer Research Fund at the V Foundation, where more than $1 million was raised through the net proceeds from the Sports Humanitarian Awards.“Cancer research is advancing at an incredible pace, but we need to do more to ensure each person who is diagnosed with cancer is able to receive the best possible care,” said Susan Sweeney, President and Head, U.S. Commercial, Bristol-Myers Squibb. “We’re proud to support the Stuart Scott Memorial Cancer Research Fund at the V Foundation, which is making great progress in its goal to improve outcomes for underserved cancer patients.” The evening featured tennis legend Billie Jean King, who recognized four honorees of the inaugural Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award for their leadership and commitment to improve their communities through sport. Grammy Award winner, singer and songwriter Ciara hosted this year’s event, while acclaimed multi-platinum pop singer and songwriter Andy Grammer performed.ESPN will showcase highlights from the Sports Humanitarian Awards on Thursday, July 18, during a special one-hour program at 7 p.m. ET.Photos from the 2019 Humanitarian Awards can be downloaded via ESPN.
SPORTS SUTAINABILITY LEADERSHIP AWARD
The Sports Sustainability Leadership Award recognizes an organization that is leveraging the power of sports to make a positive impact on the environment.By 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans. adidas is driving eco-innovation around materials, products and new ways of using them, turning a threat into a thread. They are working with Parley for The Oceans, which creates material from upcycled plastic waste that is intercepted on beaches and in coastal communities before it gets to the ocean. The adidas x Parley line is made with this innovative yarn, transforming the plastics into jerseys, shoes and other into high performance sportswear. Five million pairs of Parley shoes were produced in 2018, with plans to produce 11 million pairs of shoes containing recycled ocean plastic by the end of 2019. Additionally, Adidas works to educate consumers about the importance of the oceans, the problem of plastic pollution in the oceans, and the ways to eliminate unnecessary virgin plastic from people’s lives. In manufacturing, adidas focuses on using sustainable materials, cutting CO2 emissions and waste prevention.