Wearing purple shorts and jerseys as they rolled to a 126-101 victory over the Delaware 87ers on Feb. 6, the Westchester Knicks weren”™t out to make a fashion statement.
They were, however, another in a long line of professional sports teams to join with a corporate sponsor and a local charity to ditch the team”™s traditional threads for a night to raise money for a cause.
- From left, Marc Miller, director of marketing partnerships, Westchester Knicks; Dave Decina, director of team sales, Westchester Knicks; Karen Cheeks-Lomax, CEO of My Sisters”™ Place; Gary Turco, general manager of Pepe Auto Group; and Bill Boyce, vice president of sales and business operations, Westchester Knicks. Photo courtesy Westchester Knicks
Sponsored by Pepe Auto Group, the one-night-only special purple uniforms worn by the Knicks were auctioned off to benefit My Sisters”™ Place, a charity that works to prevent domestic violence and human trafficking in Westchester County. During the game, fans could bid in silent auctions on the jerseys worn by the Knicks starting five, as well as a 32-inch high-definition TV, with the proceeds benefitting the nonprofit.
“We”™ve been in the community close to 40 years, working to raise awareness and provide services to people who need them the most,” said Karen Cheeks-Lomax, CEO of My Sisters”™ Place.
Based in White Plains, the charity provides emergency shelters to victims of domestic violence, as well as support services such as legal assistance and counseling. The charity also runs educational programs aimed at reducing relationship-related violence, as well as preventing human trafficking and advocating for victims.
“It”™s a dream come true when an organization like ours, that”™s worked as hard as we”™ve worked over the last 40 years, can come to a place where people recognize and change the way in which people view this issue,” Cheeks-Lomax said. “We”™re out there, we”™re educating people, we”™re providing direct services, and trying to show the next generation you don”™t have to” live in a situation with domestic violence.
According to a Westchester Knicks spokesperson, the special jerseys were great for both Pepe Auto Group and My Sisters”™ Place, noting that nonprofits often don”™t have the budgets to do a large campaign but can pair up with corporations to increase the penetration of their marketing and fundraising efforts.
“When Madison Square Garden got involved and brought the Knicks (Development League team) to Westchester, we just thought it was a natural fit,” said Gary Turco, Pepe Auto Group general manager. The group of dealerships has a three-year deal to be the official luxury car dealer of the Westchester Knicks, which translates to an on-court logo, signage and car displays in the Westchester County Center, where the team plays home games.
“Tonight, we were able to bring in a charity with us to help raise awareness, and we have a long-term relationship with My Sisters”™ Place,” Turco said. “I thought it was just perfect, with everything that My Sisters”™ Place does with victims of domestic violence, and everything going on in the world of sports, it couldn”™t be a better venue for them to get their message out.”
The charity jersey auction was the fourth of the season for the Westchester Knicks, who paired with the Hospital for Special Surgery to raise money for Crutches 4 Kids on Dec. 13, Entergy and Today”™s Students Tomorrow”™s Teachers on Jan. 30, and Main Street Pediatric Dentistry and Smile Train on Jan. 31.
Later this season, Clear Channel Outdoors will sponsor charity jersey auctions March 24 and April 4, with a beneficiary yet to be determined. Pepsi will sponsor an auction March 7, and Cushman & Wakefield will back a jersey auction benefitting the 100,000 Jobs Mission on March 30.
The Knicks declined to provide the total amount raised for My Sisters”™ Place, though forward Darnell Jackson”™s jersey fetched $200, and guard Thanasis Antetokounmpo”™s shirt brought in $150.
Cheeks-Lomax said the support her organization has received from Pepe Auto Group has been immeasurable over the past eight years.
“Gary Turco has really been a lightning rod around this issue,” she said. “He learned about it from talking with us, and then he just kind of said, ”˜I”™m going to jump in there with you.”™ He understands the issue and wants the organization to have the best possible posture to do it.”
