Dick's: To Whom It May Concern by Anomaly

School sports programs are getting cut across the US due to budgetary tightening, and retailer Dick’s Sporting Goods is looking to do something to reverse that trend.

Dick’s and the Dick’s Sporting Goods Foundation have launched a national campaign aimed at providing access to sports for one million young athletes nationwide by 2024. Heading up the campaign is a TV spot is set to debut August 4, with additional campaign support on digital, social media and in-store.

The 30- and 60-second ads, ‘To Whom it May Concern,’ feature youth athletes and teams that are representative of communities around the country currently facing the youth sports budget crisis head-on, along with a call to action to “help us, help them.” We see locker rooms and sports fields with kids who are hearing their coaches read letters saying that their programs will be cut or suspended indefinitely. The disappointed looks on their faces speaks volumes about the issue.

The TV spot was filmed in Birmingham, Alabama and many of the athletes featured in the ad are from nearby Fairfield High School. That school’s athletic department will receive a $25,000 grant on behalf of the Dick’s Foundation Sports Matter program. Additionally, The Dick’s Foundation will fully fund all Sports Matter projects currently on DonorsChoose.org totaling more than $450,000 and impacting nearly 40,000 youth athletes.

Dick’s customers can also help out by donating to The Dick’s Sporting Goods Foundation Sports Matter program in a number of ways, including at the store checkout, on sportsmatter.org, by texting key word “SPORTS” to 20222 or through a “donate now” button on Facebook. All donations will directly support youth sports programs across the country. Additionally, Dick’s is matching up to $1m in donations made by customers to The Dick’s Foundation through September 13, 2019.