43 Oak Foundation Partnership with UBS, UBS Arena and the New York Islanders
The 6th Annual Awards
- Diversity Equity Inclusion & Belonging
ABOUT THIS ENTRY
In 2021, UBS, the New York Islanders and UBS Arena announced a 5-year partnership with 43 Oak Foundation and a $1M commitment to increasing diversity in hockey.
43 Oak Foundation is an accredited 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization serving youth across the U.S., a large number coming from the New York Metropolitan Area, aged 6-22 (ranging from 1st grade to seniors in college). 43 Oak Foundation provides transportation, equipment, ice time, funding for travel hockey leagues and tournaments and other vital resources for players.
This partnership with 43 Oak Foundation solidifies the commitment of UBS, the Islanders and UBS Arena to the local community in and around UBS Arena, the growth of the sports, and diversity within the game of hockey. The partnership includes clinics conducted by Islanders staff with support from Islanders alumni, 43 Oak Foundation staff and UBS hockey team volunteers, as well as other meaningful engagement opportunities for participants.
How does this represent “Excellence in Engagement”?
This partnership brings much needed attention to a larger trend in the sports landscape around DE&I and the importance of diverse representation in sports. Hockey is a sport that lacks diversity and is a very expensive sport for kids to grow up playing and through this partnership, UBS, the Islanders and 43 Oak Foundation provide diverse student athletes of all ages the opportunity to play hockey.
UBS, UBS Arena and New York Islander social media channels increased follower growth by 60% on 43 Oak Foundation social media handles. By leveraging its relationship between UBS, the New York Islanders, and UBS Arena, 43 Oak Foundation has been able to garner over 200M earned media impressions since the partnership began.
Objective
Following UBS’s naming rights sponsorship of the state-of-the-art UBS Arena and presenting partner status of the New York Islanders, the collective group aligned on the goal of increasing diversity and accessibility within the sport of ice hockey.
With ice hockey being the most expensive youth sport in the US, it creates many financial barriers for entry. The three parties set out to support an organization with a mission that resonated with their values around DE&I, education and teamwork and that led them to 43 Oak Foundation. This 501(c)(3) non-profit supports underprivileged and minority youth athletes and their educational development through ice hockey.
This unique five-year partnership between 43 Oak Foundation, UBS, the New York Islanders and UBS Arena is centered around a $1 million commitment to 43 Oak Foundation. The funding covers hockey-related expenses for members of the 43 Oak Foundation when families cannot afford these expenses. The hockey expenses include transportation, equipment, ice time, travel hockey leagues and tournaments fees as well as off-ice mentorship and educational resources. Islanders alumni and 43 Oak Foundation staff coach the amazing kids in this program many times throughout the year as part of the partnership.
Strategy & Execution
The modern sports fan values the importance of inclusivity and creating athletic opportunity for all. Fans can follow the immense growth of 43 Oak Foundation and storylines of student athletes through extensive video content on social media and online that showcases individual players and events.
Beyond providing monetary assistance, UBS’s hockey team, New York Islanders alumni and staff actively participate in and engage with 43 Oak Foundation student athletes and their families, enriching the lives of all of those involved and continuing to help build and support the local community and also creating a national connection of diverse hockey players from coast to coast.
This partnership with 43 Oak Foundation incorporates: bi-annual ice hockey clinics, a college and career readiness mentorship program with 20+ UBS and Islanders corporate volunteers, financial literacy classes provided by the UBS Financial Wellness team, access to Islanders hockey games and in-game interviews with players during the 2023-24 Islanders season.
The implementation of these programs is led by UBS along with UBS Arena and the Islanders team with support from Islanders alumni, 43 Oak Foundation staff and the UBS Hockey team who volunteer their time for clinics and mentorship sessions.
Organizations
- UBS
- 43 Oak Foundation
- UBS Arena
- New York Islanders
Links
Credits
Sky Silverstein
Executive Director & Coach
43 Oak Foundation
Sean Grevy, Jr.
Board Chair & Coach
43 Oak Foundation
Hinga Vonjo
Board Vice Chair
43 Oak Foundation
Kalynda Martin
Board Treasurer
43 Oak Foundation
Katherine Kippen
Board Secretary
43 Oak Foundation
Joyce Eck
Admin & Events Volunteer
43 Oak Foundation
Anna Chandless
Events Volunteer
43 Oak Foundation
Greg Conway
Senior Manager, Partnership Management
New York Islanders and UBS Arena
Mike Verna
Vice President, Partnership Management
New York Islanders and UBS Arena
Zach Doyle
Account Executive, Partnership Marketing
New York Islanders
Thomas Dolan
Account Executive, Partnership Marketing
New York Islanders
Alex Leafer
Director of Production
New York Islanders
Anneliese Mesilati
Head Brand Activation and Sponsorship, UBS Americas
UBS
Deborah Abroal
Director, Brand Activation and Sponsorship, UBS Americas
UBS
Stephanie Cady
Director, Brand Activation and Sponsorship, UBS Americas
UBS
Greg Toskos
Head of Global Partnerships, UBS Global Wealth Management
UBS
Alix Talkow
GTP Analyst, UBS Global Wealth Management
UBS
Celebrate in NYC
Join us for the 6th Annual Hashtag Sports Awards™ on the evening of June 6, 2024 as we celebrate finalists and reveal the winners of this year's awards live during the show.
