MOVEMBER INVESTS $750,000 INTO LAUREUS SPORT FOR GOOD PROGRAMS IN CHICAGO AND NEW YORK CITY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

[USA, August 14th, 2024] Movember, the world’s leading men’s health charity, is proud to partner with Laureus Sport for Good, a non-profit organization dedicated to leveraging sport for social change. A collaboration that will see Movember invest $750,000 into Laureus Sport for Good youth development programs in historically underserved and under-resourced communities within Chicago and New York City over the next three years.

This announcement comes as Laureus USA launches their 10-Year Sport for Good City Anniversary campaign, marking a decade of transformative initiatives and partnerships dedicated to improving mental health and increasing access to sports for American youth.

In the United States, access to sports and sporting facilities remains inequitable, with significant disparities affecting low-income communities. Recent studies reveal that the participation rate in sports among the lowest-income youth has dropped from 34% in 2012 to just 25% today, largely due to ongoing access issues. [1]

“We understand that American youth without equal access to sports miss out on critical benefits that sports provide, like teamwork and confidence-building, which can significantly affect their mental health,” says Tim Gnaneswaren, US Country Director at Movember.

“That’s why we are dedicated to ensuring every young person, regardless of their background, has the chance to participate in sports and enjoy its physical and mental health benefits. Our partnership with Laureus USA is a crucial step in addressing disparities and empowering underserved youth with the opportunities they deserve. We are excited about the potential impact of this collaboration.”

Movember’s funding will focus on breaking down barriers to sports participation within underserved communities and establishing pathways for youth to engage in sporting environments more easily. The initiative is designed not only to enhance mental health outcomes but also to equip youth with essential skills to navigate challenges during their formative years.

Movember funding will be funneled into two key initiatives:

Grants for Community-Based Organizations: Four to six community-based organizations in under-resourced communities will receive grants to provide sport and youth development programming for youth aged 12-18.

Supporting Sport for Good City Coalitions: Convening coalitions in Chicago and New York City are made up of diverse local stakeholders, including sports organizations, non-profits, city agencies and schools. These coalitions identify local challenges and use sport to address them, promoting youth empowerment and community-driven policy change.

Movember has a proven track record in advancing youth mental health through sports, as evidenced by initiatives like the ‘Making Connections’ program in California, which provides crucial support and mentoring to 80-100 adolescents each week through basketball.

Laureus USA has also made significant strides in closing the equity gap in sports. Their Sport for Good New York City coalition played a pivotal role in advocating for the establishment of the Mayor’s Office of Sport, Recreation and Wellness, which aims to enhance access to and equity in high-quality youth sports programs throughout the city. Similarly, the Sport for Good Chicago coalition has secured over $10 million in state appropriations over the past three years, which has helped broaden opportunities for underserved communities and amplified the impact of their youth sports initiatives.

“We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Movember, which symbolizes a shared commitment to our Sport for Good Cities model and its transformative influence on young individuals. Research demonstrates that involvement in sports has a profound and enduring positive effect on mental health and wellbeing,”  said Maurya Couvares, National Director, Laureus USA.

“Movember’s support for Laureus USA underscores their ongoing dedication to amplifying their impact on the mental health of young people. Through our Sport for Good Cities framework, the organizations we support report an increase of 37% in positive youth outcomes compared to a standard grant of the same size.”

The partnership between Movember and Laureus USA signifies a joint commitment to fostering positive change through sports, ensuring all adolescents have access to the transformative benefits of physical activity and community engagement.

Projects will be selected through an application process managed by both parties in October.

For interview opportunities, please contact:

Movember – Kristy Ward, Global Communications Lead (kristy.ward@movember.com)

Laureus Sport for Good –  Maggie Munoff, Marketing & Communications Manager (maggie.munoff@laureus.com)

About Movember:

Twenty years ago, a bristly idea was born in Australia, igniting a movement that would transcend borders and change the face of men’s health forever. The movement, known as Movember, united people from all walks of life, sparking billions of important conversations, raising vital funds, and shattering the silence surrounding men’s health issues.

Since 2003, the organization has challenged the status quo, shaken up men’s health research, and transformed the way that health services reach and support men. They have taken on prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention with unwavering determination.

Movember has raised over $981 million for men’s health, thanks to a passionate network of global Mos. These critical funds have delivered more than 1,300 men’s health projects around the world, funding some of the largest prostate cancer registries in the world, based on the real-life experiences of hundreds of thousands of men. Since taking on mental health and suicide prevention in 2006, Movember has emphasized the importance of better social connections, early recognition of poor mental health, and how clinicians can better respond to men in distress. They want to make sure that more men know what to do when mental health issues appear and that their supporters are better prepared to step in when needed.

Movember will continue championing new research, cutting-edge treatments, and healthy behaviors, and they will continue advocating for inclusive, gender-responsive healthcare systems that are tailored to the unique needs of men, women, and gender-diverse people from a range of cultural backgrounds. In doing so, they hope to forge a future where barriers to healthy living are overcome, stigmas are removed, and everyone has an equal opportunity to live a long, healthy life. By improving men’s health, Movember aims to have a profoundly positive impact on women, families, and society. To learn more, please visit Movember.com.

About Laureus USA:

Laureus USA is a non-profit, grant-making organization that works to improve the lives of youth and unite communities through the power of sport. Since 2012, we have impacted the lives of over one million youth by investing $33 million in sports-based youth development organizations around the country that unleash the power of sport to enhance physical and mental health, improve educational and employment outcomes, and address critical social justice issues.

Laureus USA is a member of the global Laureus network, which includes 7 National Laureus Sport for Good Foundations, 1 Global Foundation, the Laureus World Sports Academy (and Ambassadors), and the Laureus World Sports Awards. Globally, Laureus funds, supports, develops and implements initiatives that use sport to create equality, access and opportunity.

To learn more about Sport for Good, visit LaureusUSA.com.

[1] Wood, L., Hooper, P., Foster, S., & Bull, F. (2017). Public green spaces and positive mental health–investigating the relationship between access, quantity, and types of parks and mental wellbeing. Health & Place, 48, 63-71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2017.09.002