33 Community Events | 686 Community Service Hours | 12,817 Youth Directly Impacted | 28,600 People Reached | 25,500+ Storm Tickets Donated
Check out our 2018 StormCares highlights:
2018
3’s for Trees
For the past ten years, the Seattle Storm and Carter Subaru have partnered to reduce our carbon footprint throughout the 3’s for Trees program. For every three-pointer the Storm makes each season, Carter Subaru commits to plant one tree in the Mountains to Sound Greenway. This year, the Storm totaled 375 made threes, for the highest total to date! On October 20, Storm Front Office staff joined other volunteers from around the area at Luther Burbank Park on Mercer Island to get their hands dirty and help plant hundreds of TREE-pointers.
50/50 Raffle
During each Storm home game, one non-profit organization raises funds and awareness of its mission through raffle ticket sales to Storm fans. The total amount raised is split between the non-profit and winning ticket holder at the conclusion of the game. The Storm is honored to have participants including Equal Rights Washington, Camp Ten Trees and Oasis Youth Center.
Auction Donations
The Seattle Storm actively engages with hundreds of non-profits in Washington State each year by providing donations to local auctions. We have provided tickets and signed merchandise to over 700 auctions this year.
Austen Everett Foundation
For the fourth year, the Storm partnered with the Austen Everett Foundation to provide Honorary Captain experiences for children battling cancer. On July 1, 2018, the Storm honored Savannah, a very special young girl who was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia when she was just two years old. On August 19, 2018, the Storm honored Haley, an extraordinary young girl as our Honorary Captain. At just six years old, she was diagnosed with Mixed Lineage Leukemia. Both were huge fans of Storm player Alysha Clark.
Banding Together to Fight Homelessness
Sue Bird joined iconic Seattle-native band Pearl Jam in an effort to alleviate homelessness in Seattle. As part of the Banding Together to Fight Homeless campaign, Bird, in partnership with Ames Bros., had a custom pair of shoes designed that she wore in her WNBA-record 10th All-Star game on Saturday, July 28 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Postgame, the shoes were signed by Bird and auctioned off. The shoes raised $2,210 for the Home Shows fund.
Basketball Clinics
This season, the Storm is teamed up with Kaiser Permanente and Microsoft to host basketball clinics throughout the greater Seattle area. We offered six FREE clinics where Storm players joined participants in on-court drills and competitions. Over 200 participants received a free t-shirt, basketball, care packets and healthy snacks.
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Basketball Camp
This year, the 2018 StormFit Basketball Camp took place August 14-17 at Hidden Valley Field House in Bellevue. 110 kids had the opportunity to learn key basketball skills and techniques from coaches over the course of four days. Campers received special giveaways including basketballs, t-shirts and tickets for StormFit Night. Storm players Jordin Canada and Courtney Paris joined the campers in some fun basketball competitions, signed player cards and talked to the kids about life on and off the court.
Breast Health Awareness Night
The Storm, in partnership with the Swedish Cancer Institute, unveiled its 2018 Breast Health Awareness campaign, ‘Why We Wear Pink,' focused on 12 women: doctors and current and former Swedish Cancer Institute patients. The campaign featured each woman's journey and resilience in her individual fight against breast cancer. Storm players, in 1-on-1 conversations with the women, heard deeply moving stories, which were illustrated on unique, custom-made shoes that each Storm player wore on Aug. 3. The Storm raised $20,743 for the Swedish Cancer Institute Patient Assistance Fund through the silent online auction, which featured the special BHA jerseys and customized shoes worn by the players that night among other donations.
Watch Video Press Release
Camp Ten Trees
The Storm and Swedish partnered with Camp Ten Trees this season to support and promote diversity and inclusion. This Seattle-based non-profit runs overnight camp programs for LGBTQ+ youth and youth of LGBTQ+ families in the Summer and Spring in an environment where they are loved, accepted, and celebrated for being who they are.
Community Practice
This year, the Storm and Kaiser Permanente were excited to present the Seattle Storm Community Practice at Seattle Christian School. Hosted by City of SeaTac and Seattle Southside Regional Tourism Authority, this kid-friendly event gave local youth the chance to see Storm players up close and personal and join in on their practice. Kaiser Permanente handed out free t-shirts, basketballs, and other goodies. The Storm gave away tickets to StormFit Night presented by Kaiser Permanente.
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Community Spotlight
Non-profit organizations have the opportunity to showcase their mission, raise awareness and share work in the community through the Community Spotlight program. The Storm is honored to have participants including Equal Rights Washington, 100 Leading Ladies of Color, Planned Parenthood and Camp Ten Trees.
Doppler Wellness Tour
With the help of Storm mascot, Doppler, Swedish and the Storm have partnered to create the Doppler Wellness Tour. Doppler visited four Swedish campuses to encourage patient and employee engagement. This year, all visitors had the opportunity to take their picture with the 2018 WNBA Championship trophy or test their shooting ability in hopes of winning a free water bottle! One individual from each campus will be selected to win tickets for Opening Night and a 2018 Championship hat.
Faith and Family Night
The Seattle Storm celebrated fellowship and family during Faith and Family Night, which included admission to a Storm game and a special postgame program featuring prayer with the Team Chaplain and insight from Storm players on their faith and journey into basketball. The Storm celebrated this evening with players Alysha Clark, Jewell Loyd and Noelle Quinn during the postgame event.
Girl Scout Night
The Seattle Storm hosted over 30 local area Girl Scout troops at the May 20th Storm game. In alignment with the Storm’s education and leadership values, the experience featured a pregame sports and entertainment workshop and panel for the Girl Scouts to hear from successful women in the industry. The girls also learned a dance and performed it pregame in front of the crowd. To commemorate the evening, all troops finished with a postgame photo on the court.
Healthy Fitness Standards Program
For the past several years, the Seattle Storm has partnered with Seattle Public Schools to encourage students to stay active and healthy. By providing incentives for elementary students to reach their Healthy Fitness Standards, we help motivate over 7,000 students to work hard in physical education and take ownership of their own health and wellness.
Helping Our Neighbors
Les Schwab and the Storm made the assist this season to help provide special experiences for community groups. Les Schwab partnered with the Sarcoma Foundation, Birthday Dreams and Scoutreach. All groups received the opportunity to participate in the pregame Fan Tunnel to root on the Storm as they take the court, cheer from a catered suite provided by Les Schwab and take a photo on the court post-game to celebrate the exciting night.
Inspiring Women Night
Inspiring Women Night is an annual opportunity for Storm players and fans to thank those who have had an important influence on making our community strong. In 2018, we celebrated Anne Simpson, Nan Stoops, Maggie Walker and Lindy West as our Inspiring Women Honorees.
Jr. WNBA Finals Clinic
Working in partnership with Shock Doctor and as part of the 2018 WNBA Finals presented by YouTube TV, the WNBA and Seattle Storm hosted a Jr. WNBA Finals Clinic. Breanna Stewart, Jewell Loyd, Alysha Clark, Natasha Howard and Sue Bird joined over 100 boys and girls at SPU to share their knowledge of basketball and put them through some drills. Everyone in attendance received tickets to Game 2 of the Finals to cheer on the Storm.
Leschi Elementary School Playground Hoops Renovation
As part of the joint community impact venture between the Storm and Swedish, seven backboards were replaced at Leschi Elementary School in mid-June. The seven backboards on campus were in need of renovation to help bring basketball back to recess. Storm staff organized an assembly on June 22 to hold an official ribbon cutting ceremony and break in the new hoops with the Swedish RPM team.
Watch Video Press Release
NBA Math Hoops Championship Tournament
On August 20, several members of local Boys and Girls Clubs participated in the NBA Math Hoops Championship at Rainier Vista Boys and Girls Club. NBA Math Hoops is a fast-paced basketball board game, curriculum, and community program that allows students to learn fundamental math skills through direct engagement with the real statistics of their favorite NBA and WNBA players. These participants proved to be the best at their local club, playing all summer as part of their Summer Brain Gain curriculum. During the tournament, they competed in pairs to establish the Seattle summer champions.
“Pint for Pint” Blood Drive
Bloodworks Northwest teamed up with the Seattle Storm to save lives this past summer! All individuals that donated blood between May 25th and August 15th, received two free tickets to cheer on the Seattle Storm and a free beer voucher valid at any Seattle Storm Happy Hour game. This offer was available through any Washington Bloodworks Northwest Donor Center.
Pride
The Seattle Storm welcomes diversity, equality and inclusion and uses Pride Night as a platform to support the LGBTQ community and allies. From rainbow thunderstix to presences in the annual Pride Picnic and Pride Parade, the Storm is proud to be active and supportive throughout the community. We felt the love on our Pride Night supported by PwC on Friday, June 22. Thank you to all the fans that joined us at the game and to walk in the annual Pride Parade on Sunday, June 24.
Seattle Children’s Toy Drive
The Storm hosted its Toy Drive supported by Lime, benefiting Seattle Children’s Hospital on July 14. Alysha Clark, who has developed friendships with many of the patients and their families at the hospital, encouraged fans to donate toys for the children who find themselves away from their homes in need of medical care. This year, the Storm collected over 2,000 toys donated from fans through the drive. In addition, Lime donated cobranded Storm bike helmets for kids at the hospital.
Press Release
Special Olympics Free Throw Challenge
The Storm and Kaiser Permanente created a platform this season to raise money for Special Olympics Washington. At five games this season, unified pairs took the court and were give :45 seconds to each make a free throw. If both contestants made their free throw, Kaiser Permanente would donate $1,500 to Special Olympics Washington. Over the course of the season, all five pairs made their free throws, including an exciting buzzer beater on StormFit Night. Kaiser Permanente finished the season with a $7,500 donation benefiting Special Olympics Washington and their programs.
Special Olympics USA Games Night
Led by Special Olympics USA Games Ambassador Breanna Stewart, the Seattle Storm partnered with Bank of America to showcase the upcoming 2018 Special Olympics USA Games. The Storm welcomed Team Washington athletes and Special Olympics Ambassadors at the June 19th game. During a special halftime ceremony, over 50 USA Games Athletes and Ambassadors from various sports paraded out to center court, receiving a standing ovation from the crowd.
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Special Olympics Washington
The Storm has partnered with Special Olympics Washington to encourage inclusion and equality for all through the game of basketball. To kick off 2018 events, the Storm hosted a free Special Olympics Washington coaches and athlete basketball training on Feb. 13 at the Northgate Community Center for athletes of all ages and abilities. The Storm took over practice for the “Sharks” and provided key learnings for coaches and athletes.
Staff Volunteer Work
Our commitment to the community goes well beyond the basketball arena. In March 2018, the Storm Front Office staff assembled over 250 centerpieces that were used at the YWCA Seattle and Snohomish Inspire Annual luncheons. In December 2018, the Storm Front Office volunteered at the Salvation Army's Toy & Joy event, inventorying toys and helping to setup CenturyLink Event Center as a holiday toy store for families in need of assistance.
State Middle School Basketball Championship
In partnership with the 2018 Washington Middle School Basketball Championship, the Seattle Storm rewarded all teams that advanced to the tournament with complimentary tickets to a 2018 Seattle Storm regular season home game to celebrate all of their hard work on the court.
Storm Into College
For the third consecutive year, the Storm celebrated higher education through “Storm into College” night at KeyArena. Approximately 1,000 middle and high school students from the Puget Sound region joined the Storm at their May 29th game to learn more about their options for higher education. Students participated in a College Fair, met local university admission representatives and interacted with a panel of Storm Front Office employees and basketball staff as they discussed their education and career paths.
Storm Into S.T.E.M. (Kids Day)
The Storm partnered with Microsoft to host Storm Into S.T.E.M. on July 10th, a game focused on S.T.E.M. As part of the educational day, youth in attendance could participate in hands-on activities including using math to determine if they would be able to dunk on the moon using force plates that measure the mechanics of their jump. Along with Microsoft, XBOT Robotics, iFLY and KidsQuest Children’s Museum were in attendance assisting with S.T.E.M. activities. Each game attendee received a workbook featuring basketball-themed S.T.E.M. material.
Press Release
Storm Into S.T.E.M. Preseason Game
For the fourth consecutive season, the Storm hosted a preseason game on May 8th focused on youth education in the Puget Sound region. The event included an interactive pregame student-run robotics & S.T.E.M. showcase on the concourse featuring middle and high school students from throughout the state. Each game attendee received a workbook featuring basketball-themed S.T.E.M. practice problems.
Press Release
StormAcademy Session: AT&T and Girls Who Code
The Seattle Storm and AT&T partnered with Girls Who Code to host 15 girls at a special StormAcademy session at KeyArena. These girls from the Seattle branch of Girls Who Code celebrated their last day of summer programming with a behind the scenes look at what goes into the production and broadcast of a Seattle Storm game.
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StormAcademy Session: Bloodworks Northwest Research Institute
The Storm partnered with Bloodworks Northwest to provide an educational session at Bloodworks Northwest Research Institute in Seattle with 30 boys and girls from the local community. The day field trip included visiting their Research Institute, Q&A with speakers in the industry, and stations including a Pop-up Bloodworks and lab tour. The day finished with a visit from Storm player Alysha Clark.
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StormAcademy Session: Healthcare 101
For the third consecutive season, the Seattle Storm and Swedish partnered to provide a leadership session at Swedish Medical Center Cherry Hill on with about 35 girls from the local community. These girls discussed leadership, learned CPR and safe concussion protocol, practiced exercises to stay active with the Swedish Rehabilitation Performance Medicine team, met Storm player Noelle Quinn, and explored careers in healthcare.
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StormAcademy Session: Museum of Flight
The Seattle Storm and Alaska Airlines partnered to provide a leadership session at the Museum of Flight with 50 girls from the local community. The girls were encouraged to become powerful leaders and explore careers in STEM and aviation through a series of workshops. The girls spent time touring the Museum of Flight and were given the opportunity to think like a pilot in the Alaska Learning Center. The session concluded with strong women leaders at Alaska Airlines empowering the girls to follow their passions and explore STEM fields.
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StormAcademy Session: SSC Women’s Leadership Breakfast
The Seattle Storm and AT&T partnered with After-School All-Stars Puget Sound to host 20 girls from Meeker Middle School at a special StormAcademy session. These girls attended the Seattle Sports Commission Women’s Leadership Breakfast and then traveled to AT&T’s Corporate Office in Redmond where they heard stories from powerful women leaders and gained exposure through networking and mentorship.
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StormFit Classroom Assist
During the months of August and September, the Storm partnered with Kaiser Permanente and the Seattle Public Schools to recognize local teachers as part of the “StormFit Classroom Assist” program. Five teachers were honored at Storm home playoff games. The recipients were celebrated during the first timeout of the game and given a $500 donation to use towards the purchase of classroom supplies.
StormFit Night
For the past four years, the Storm and Kaiser Permanente have presented an evening promoting youth health and wellness. StormFit Night took place on Friday, August 17 against the New York Liberty. In addition to attending an exciting Storm home game, kids had the opportunity to take a photo in the Thrive Photobooth, participate in a fitness-inspired contest during halftime and receive cool giveaways including a Storm team poster at the door. The Storm also honored all Kaiser Permanente Sportsmanship Winners from the StormFit clinic series on court.
Summer Reading Program
This was the Storm’s third year partnering with the King County Library System in support of their long-standing summer reading program. New for 2018, the Storm expanded its reach and also partnered with the Pierce County Library System’s summer reading program to encourage summer reading all throughout the local area. The Storm donated over 17,700 tickets to congratulate students on their commitment to summer reading and hosted over 10,000 participants and their families at Storm games.
Tickets for Kids
Through the Tickets for Kids program, the Seattle Storm partnered with businesses, individuals and organizations to provide young girls and boys the opportunity to experience the highest level of women’s basketball in the world – free of charge. During the 2018 season, Denali Advanced Integration is hosted over 25 non-profit groups in the Denali Birds Nest. In addition to smaller donations, 2018 partners featured Alaska Airlines, Swedish, and MTR Western.
Urban Games 2018
The Seattle Storm participated in Urban Games 2018 for a fun free day of sports, health and wellness! The Storm enjoyed spending time at Garfield Community Center with lots of active youngsters. This was a fun environment promoting active, healthy lifestyles with activities for young people ages 5-22 and their families including indoor and outdoor games such as Hot Shot, community and healthy resources, group exercise classes and much more.
WE Day
For the second consecutive year, the Storm participated in WE Day 2018, an inspirational event fueled by an educational initiative, WE Schools. Kids of all ages earned their way to this free all-day event at KeyArena through local and global community service projects to show the power of community. Breanna Stewart and Jewell Loyd joined other celebrities, performers and athletes. The duo invited Dawna Robinson and her class at PE Ell School to a Storm game in recognition for their commitment to making a difference in the community, locally and globally.
WNBA Finals Surprise Basketball Practice
YouTube TV, the WNBA and Seattle Storm collaborated to bring WNBA Legend Lisa Leslie to Seattle to surprise a local group of girls from the Mercer Island Boys and Girls Club with an unforgettable WNBA Finals experience. Lisa Leslie joined the girls at their basketball practice, before taking them out to dinner. The next day, Lisa and the girls attended Game 2 of the WNBA Finals, watching from the comfort of a private suite.