Green Sports Alliance Unites Local Non-Profit Organizations Across North America to Mobilize Environmental Action and Community Care Under Theme "RESILIENT"
Green Sports Alliance is proud to announce that thirty-one (31) non-profit organizations across the United States will host regional community impact volunteer events in celebration of Green Sports Day® in 2026.
Centered on this year’s rallying theme, RESILIENT, the nationwide campaign captures the power of sports to withstand, adapt, and lead in the face of environmental and social challenges. Through hands-on local activations, sports teams, venues, athletes, corporate partners, and fans will unite to create healthier, more sustainable communities where we live, work, and play.
"Green Sports Day serves as a vital reminder that climate action is a team sport," said Jeff Pacini, Executive Director of the Green Sports Alliance. "By partnering with thirty-one outstanding non-profit organizations across the country, we are turning environmental commitments into immediate, measurable action on the ground. Whether through habitat restoration, community garden builds, or waste diversion drives, these events empower local sports communities to lead by example."
Driving Action Across Three Core Pillars
The community events align directly with Green Sports Day’s foundational pillars:
- Impact Community: Partnering with regional non-profits to address local environmental equity, food security, public space beautification, and natural resource conservation.
- Demonstrate Leadership: Highlighting innovative sustainability accomplishments and climate readiness strategies from professional, collegiate, and venue sports leaders.
- Inspire Action: Calling on fans, athletes, and organizations to adopt eco-friendly behaviors and make lasting commitments to climate resilience.
Volunteer activations across the thirty-one (31) regions will encompass a variety of high-impact community projects, including community orchard maintenance, native plant restoration, waterway and beach cleanups, food recovery operations, and supporting athletic competitions.
Regional Community Impact Events Schedule
Below is the complete list of participating non-profit partners and community impact events hosted in celebration of Green Sports Day 2026. Click the link to register.
West Region
Seattle: Restore the Hitt's Hill ecosystem by removing non-native species (like ivy and blackberry) and preparing areas for winter planting on October 9 with EarthCorps and Green Seattle Partnership
Portland: Join a community clean up to remove litter and debris to protect Pacific Northwest waterways and support healthier habitats for wildlife on October 6 with SOLVE
Hayward: Prune, weed, lay down mulch and help maintain the park’s apple orchard on October 7 with East Bay Regional Park
San Francisco: Help build grocery boxes for seniors and sort donations on October 1 with SF-Marin Food Bank
San Jose: Organize food and clothing for families in need and help neighbors find items in the “store” on October 6 with Sacred Heart Community Service
Los Angeles: Help your food insecure neighbors by volunteering on October 6 with the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank
Irvine: Plant, harvest, weed and maintain the fields at Harvest Solutions Farm on October 6 with Second Harvest Food Bank
San Diego: Support the San Diego River Park Foundation through the donation of seed balls on October 6 with HandsOn San Diego’s VolunBEERS
Las Vegas: Assemble grocery bags and distribute food to your neighbors on October 6 with The Just One Project
Phoenix: Volunteer to set up and tear down lighting, time and scorekeep during the competition, present awards, and cheer on the athletes on September 30 at Special Olympics
Central Region
Minneapolis: Volunteer to support your community through Ronald McDonald House by creating food packages or cleaning and organizing on October 1 with Lend-a-Hand
Chicago: Sort clothing and package donations to help children who are clothing insecure on October 6 at Cradles to Crayons
Kansas City: Help ensure fresh, affordable produce reaches neighbors who need it most – while also reducing food waste through responsible redirection on October 6 at Kanbe’s Markets
St. Louis: Help with a campus beautification project–including spreading mulch, weeding and debris clean up on October 6 at Gene Slay's Girls and Boys Club of St. Louis
Denver: Support the Mobile Food Market’s mission to offer food at no cost, by setting up, distributing food, and helping folks shop on October 2 with We Don’t Waste
Dallas: Support a real, working farm to improve neighborhood nutrition by cleaning coops, weeding and watering, and planting new crops on October 6 with Bonton Farms
Austin: Nurture the land and plant, cultivate, and harvest vegetables and prepare them for neighbors on October 1 with Urban Roots Farm
North Region
Newton, MA: Sort clothing, shop, take inventory, create outfits, and more to help children who are clothing insecure on October 2 at Cradles to Crayons
New York City: Participate in gardening projects and learn about urban ecology and park stewardship on October 6 with Hudson River Park Friends
Philadelphia: Walk and socialize adoptable dogs on October 6 to support New Leash on Life USA, which rescues at-risk dogs to work with justice-impacted individuals in both prison and community settings to create fresh starts
Washington, D.C.: Help grow vegetables, fruits, and herbs for your neighbors on October 6 with THEARC Farm
Detroit: Help to reforest Detroit and expand the canopy cover by planting trees on October 1 with The Greening of Detroit
Cleveland: Sort, label, and pack donations for senior food boxes and Backpacks for Kids Kits on October 6 at The Greater Cleveland Food Bank
Columbus: Distribute trees to neighbors to help grow equitable tree canopy coverage and foster resilient communities on October 4 with Green Columbus
Indianapolis: Inspect, sort, repackage, and pack donated food items to provide 500 to 12,000 meals on October 6 at Gleaners Warehouse
South Region
Charlotte: Inspect, sort & pack donated products to be distributed to partner agencies including homeless shelters, emergency pantries and soup kitchens on October 6 with Second Harvest Food Bank
Nashville: Build gates, rehabilitate and assemble water barrels, and prune plants to prepare for harvest with the school-age Soil Soldiers on October 2 with Urban Green Lab
Atlanta: Help care for the Atlanta BeltLine Arboretum, a dynamic landscape actively being restored to forest and native grassland, on October 6 with Trees Atlanta
Orlando: Inspect, sort & pack donated products to be distributed to partner agencies including homeless shelters, emergency pantries and soup kitchens on October 6 with Second Harvest Food Bank
Tampa: Process donations, load trucks, and clean up and organize on October 6 at Habitat ReStore
Miami: Restore and beautify the Food Forest through planting, weeding, mulching, and general upkeep, along with other nature-restoration tasks on October 6 with Food Forest for Schools
How to Get Involved
Members of the public, sports fans, local advocacy groups, and sports industry professionals are encouraged to join a regional event, make a climate action pledge, or amplify the movement online using #GreenSportsDay #RESILIENT and tagging @greensportsalliance.
Access the official Green Sports Day 2026 Toolkit, and learn more about Green Sports Day, visit greensportsalliance.org/greensportsday.
