Kings First 17-18 Season Spotlight Night Supports Local Non-Profit to Further Their Sustainability Work in Sacramento Region

On Monday, November 20, the Sacramento Kings Foundation will host the first “Spotlight Night” of the 2017-18 season at Golden 1 Center to support regional non-profits using basketball as an agent of change in the community. As the team takes on the Denver Nuggets, the Kings Foundation will highlight the work of Yolo Farm to Fork – a nonprofit that educates students on the importance of locally grown fresh food and reducing waste through school gardens.“Sustainability is one of our core values – in the region and at the Kings – and we’re passionate about how we can continue to reduce our impact on the planet,” said Kings President of Business Operations John Rinehart. “Through our Spotlight Nights, we’re able to support the work of incredible non-profits by sharing our stage with over 17,000 fans to raise awareness.”During the annual Spotlight Nights, a local nonprofit will “takeover” the arena and engage Kings fans through in-arena programming, Kings social media accounts, concourse activations, the 50/50 raffle and more. The Spotlight on Sustainability Night will be the first in this season’s three-part series with future game nights that will focus on health and education.At Monday’s Spotlight on Sustainability Night, Yolo Farm to Fork will take over the arena, sharing their message through in-game activations, an informational table at Plaza Level section 111, and with special farm boxes in the suites and lofts in the arena. Through the night, they’ll be able to educate fans on best practices for growing in-season produce, composting techniques and incorporating farm-fresh food into school lunches – all sustainability practices that residents throughout Sacramento can take on and reduce their impact on the environment.

Throughout the evening, the Kings will use special in-game entertainment like the return of the “Veggie Race,” videos featuring farm-to-fork trivia and other programming to encourage fans to incorporate sustainable practices into their everyday lives, as well as share some of the team’s innovative practices that make Golden 1 Center the most environmentally friendly arena in the world.The Sacramento Kings have set the bar for sports teams – becoming a model of sustainability by becoming the first arena to be awarded LEED platinum, and sourcing 90% of Golden 1 Center’s food within 150 miles of the arena to create the most innovative food program in sports.Building off of these green practices, the Sacramento Kings created the Second That program aimed at mitigating food waste by donating unserved arena cuisine to families in need throughout the Sacramento region. As a result of these innovations and more, the Sacramento Kings and Golden 1 Center were awarded with the Sport for Climate Action Award by Beyond Sport, chosen as an example that improves the urban fabric by Fast Company, selected as an Environmental Innovator of the Year by the Green Sports Alliance and earned Sustainable Business of the Year for Energy Conservation by the Sacramento Business Environmental Resource Center.