GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The Green Bay Packers have just one pre-season game at home: Aug. 19 at 7 p.m. against the New Orleans Saints. Something else to keep an eye out for is the special non-profit charity they plan to honor during the game.
Leaders with the Packers announced Special Olympics Wisconsin is the non-profit they have chosen to support during their second annual Packers Give Back Game. The goal is to support a charity from Wisconsin by highlighting their work and amplifying their message before and during the game.
Hundreds of Special Olympics Wisconsin athletes and their loved ones are expected to receive free game day tickets, bus ride to the game, as well as food and beverage gift cards, and they’ll cheer on the team in a designated Special Olympics Wisconsin area in the north end zone.
Prior to kickoff, several Special Olympics Wisconsin athletes will take the field, along with a Special Olympics torch. Fans throughout the stadium will be invited to take part in the Athlete Oath: "Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt."
"Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt."
At halftime, the Special Olympics Unified Flag Football Teams will take part in a flag football game on Lambeau Field.
Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy was proud of the announcement. “Regardless of an athlete’s ability, being involved in sports and being included as part of a team can be life-changing for countless individuals. We’re proud to honor Special Olympics Wisconsin for their work in bringing visibility to the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion on and off the playing field in Wisconsin," said Murphy.
The Packers recently joined Special Olympics Wisconsin in collaboration with the Milwaukee Bucks, Milwaukee Brewers and Milwaukee Admirals for the OUR TEAM initiative to celebrate inclusion across each sport.
“When we announced the OUR TEAM partnership in April, we knew it would be game-changing not only for the athletes of Special Olympics Wisconsin but for all athletes of all abilities in Wisconsin,” said Special Olympics Wisconsin President & CEO Chad Hershner. “The Green Bay Packers have proven their commitment to this first-of-its-kind initiative, beginning with naming Packers lineman Elgton Jenkins as their player ambassador and now through the Give Back Game. Alongside our athletes, we look forward to celebrating sports, inclusion, and Packers football on Aug. 19.”
About Special Olympics Wisconsin:
Special Olympics Wisconsin is a statewide organization of the Special Olympics movement that unleashes the transformative power and joy of sports every day around the world.
With the support of donors, coaches and volunteers, Special Olympics Wisconsin provides year-round sports training and nearly 150 yearly athletic events featuring 19 Olympic-type sports to nearly 9,000 individuals with intellectual disabilities. Click here For more information.
