Monumental Sports and Entertainment announced on Monday that they are holding a Pride Month auction that will benefit SMYAL, a local nonprofit that has empowers LGBTQ youth. The auction begins on June 18, 2020, at 12 PM and ends on June 26, 2020, at 3 PM.
The Washington Capitals, Washington Wizards, and Washington Mystics all contributed items.
Capitals players Braden Holtby, John Carlson, Lars Eller, Michal Kempny, Nick Jensen, Nicklas Backstrom, Radko Gudas, TJ Oshie, and Jonas Siegenthaler all contributed “player used”, signed sticks that are wrapped with Pride Tape.
NBC Sports Washington analysts Joe Beninati, Craig Laughlin, and Alan May have all donated rainbow-colored ties that are signed.
Holtby, who has marched in the DC Pride Parade the last few years, also contributed a signed Capitals Pride t-shirt, a signed Caps Pride puck, and a signed rainbow weagle.
MSE also announced in their release that on Tuesday, June 16, the external video boards at Capital One Arena will be taken over with a “LOVE WINS” banner and graphics featuring the Capitals, Wizards and Mystics.
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Washington, D.C. – Monumental Sports & Entertainment honors the diversity of the LGBTQ+ community with a series of activations across the company and its professional sports teams, reinforcing a commitment towards greater inclusiveness and acceptance.
In conjunction with Pride Month, Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation is hosting an auction benefitting SMYAL (Supporting and Mentoring Youth Advocates and Leaders). The auction opens on Thursday, June 18 at noon on Handbid and concludes Friday, June 26 at 3:00 p.m. The auction features nearly 30 items, including autographed player-used sticks wrapped in rainbow-color “Pride Tape,” player-autographed, pride-themed T-shirts, jerseys, pucks and basketballs from the Capitals, Wizards and Mystics, among other specialty items.
SMYAL is a nonprofit that works to empower lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth in the Washington metropolitan area.
On Tuesday, June 16, the external video boards at Capital One Arena will be taken over with a “LOVE WINS” banner and graphics featuring the Capitals, Wizards and Mystics. Team social channels will feature pride-related avatars and graphics as well as content featuring fans and voices of the LGBTQ+ community. In addition, a Mystics Pride Microsite features additional pride content, merchandise, an enter-to-win Mystics prize pack, COVID-19 related resources for the LGBTIQ+ community and more.
Monumental Sports & Entertainment and its teams have annually participated in Pride Month celebrations and supported LGBTQ+ causes throughout the year, including annual team pride theme nights. Last year’s 2019 Capital Pride Parade marked the fourth year Monumental Sports and its players and staff participated in the event. Previous Pride auctions and team initiatives have raised more than $80,000 for LGBTQ+ related charities.
Headline photo: Elizabeth Kong/RMNB
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