Coyotes Team Up With Valley Sports Teams to Honor Martin Luther King Jr.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. dedicated his life to public service, putting others before himself while working tirelessly to achieve equality for all throughout American society.
His example -- and the legacy he left behind -- is stronger than ever, and the Arizona Coyotes, Arizona Diamondbacks, Phoenix Mercury, Phoenix Suns, and Arizona Cardinals teamed up this past Friday to honor Dr. King by collectively participating in a day of service.
Over 150 volunteers from five major sports teams in The Valley -- collectively known as the All AZ Alliance -- kicked the weekend off on Friday by working together to highlight Dr. King's message of community service and support.

Coyotes President and CEO Xavier A. Gutierrez, who volunteered at C.J. Jorgensen Elementary School in Phoenix, said he was proud of not just the Coyotes staffers who volunteered their time on Friday afternoon, but the collective effort.
"This alliance shows we are all together when it comes to leveraging this incredible voice that sports give us to make an impact, especially on the weekend where we honor this great man, Martin Luther King Jr., who used his actions to not only inspire but to really bring about change," Gutierrez said. "What he stood for is everything that we aspire to be as an organization, and the impact that we've made on the lives of these young children is something that they'll remember for the rest of their lives."

Phoenix Suns Senior Vice President of People & Culture Kim Corbitt echoed that very sentiment.
"Dr. King's dream comes alive through spreading love and giving to our community," she said. "Each of us can do something, and having the opportunity to spend time with the students in the Roosevelt School District having fun, learning together and supporting one another has been amazing.
"I look forward to more opportunities for all of the sports teams to partner in our community to make a difference."
Participants showed up in force to contribute in various ways: Drawing and writing letters of affirmation to children that experienced trauma, abuse, neglect, or homelessness; bundling diapers to benefit women and children that live in financial insecurity, temporary housing, and domestic violence shelters; gardening, reading, and participating in art projects within Roosevelt School District; and painting and cleaning the structures at Eastlake Park, which was home to many civil rights rallies, visits from civil rights leaders, and was the starting point for many civil rights marches to the Arizona State Capitol.
Holena Lebron, principal at C.J. Jorgensen Elementary School where volunteers gardened, read to children, and played various games with the kids including soccer and football, said Friday's community service also helped set a positive example for students from kindergarten all the way through eighth grade, who are embarking on their own community service journey.
"They watch everything on TV, and those teams are stars to them, but it's a great way to make connections that there's actual humans that work with different organizations to make things happens," Lebron said. "Our signature program is service learning. It's being able to identify problems in community, and form a call to action to address that need. This year, all of our classrooms are doing some act of community service as we embark on our journey of being a service learning school."

Lebron said the 2022-23 academic year is the pilot program for its service learning program, and the kids have responded well from the get-go. The kindergartners collected 116 pairs of socks to give to the homeless, the first graders go to the local retirement center to play games and dance with senior citizens, and the eighth graders have volunteered at St. Mary's Food Bank.
The Title I school, which supports students facing their own set of challenges, teaches empathy and service.
"It's great to see that, not only are we, C.J. Jorgensen, doing service in our community, but there are people that are willing to do the same for us," Lebron said. "Even though we may feel like you may not have much, we all have things that we can give. One thing that we can give is our voice and our service."
Gutierrez, who said Friday's event was especially meaningful to him given that he attended Title I schools while growing up, took time out to address the students at the end of the day, offering them words of encouragement while delivering a message of inspiration and inclusion.

"These kids want to feel seen and they want to feel valued," Gutierrez said. "They want to know that people are engaged with them and care about their future, and today that's what you saw."
Joe Walsh, Senior Vice President of People & Culture with the Diamondbacks, helped plant a garden of jalapenos, potatoes, strawberries, and romaine lettuce at the elementary school.
"The experience was wonderful," Walsh said. "Doing it on a day to honor Martin Luther King Jr. makes it even more meaningful. It means a lot to build relationships, do good in community, and do some good for this school."

The day of service was meaningful for all involved, and representatives from all of the teams involved said they're looking forward to working together again soon - especially given the meaning of Monday's holiday and what Dr. King envisioned.
"I'm excited, I think this is going to be one of many things that we can do together," Gutierrez said. "We were all going to be out in the community celebrating the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., and what a wonderful thing to be able to do it together."