Durant joins club in Foundation fundraiser
Part of what attracted Kevin Durant to an ownership stake in the Philadelphia Union, the Brooklyn Nets star said this month, was the club’s community involvement.
Durant’s first official act with the Union was to raise funds for those efforts.
Durant took part in a virtual fundraiser that attracted more than 1,000 Union fans Tuesday night and raised $35,000 for the nonprofit Philadelphia Union Foundation and its Fight for Philly campaign on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. That total doesn’t include a silent auction, featuring a slew of Durantsigned memorabilia among other items, available for bid through Wednesday evening.
“I’m just looking forward to helping the vision that the ownership group has in place,” Du
rant said during the fundraiser in an interview with public address announcer Kevin Casey. “I’m seeing so many amazing plans for the future, especially for the young generation, specifically in that Chester community. Being a part of that, I’m looking forward to ... building an enthusiasm for football in the United States. And I think with this team and with our vision, our culture, it will help a lot in that area.”
Durant was announced as a partner June 15. He purchased a five percent stake with an option to buy another five percent. The deal includes a tie-in between the Union and Durant’s investment firm, Thirty Five Ventures, and a partnership with the Kevin
Durant Charity Foundation.
He was part of the 90-minute program of the fundraiser Wednesday night, which included players, coach Jim Curtin and members of the Union’s ownership group: Principal owner Jay Sugarman, vice chairman Richard Leibovitch, and Steve Graham, the brother of YSC Academy founder Richie Graham, in his most public appearance yet as an owner.
Sugarman echoed sentiments expressed by players and coaches in recent weeks with a call for greater awareness of and work toward goals of racial justice.
“Right now, together, we can seize one of the biggest moments out there, because our society has to make some decisions,” Sugarman said in prepared remarks. “Are we going to go forward, or are we going to go backwards? Are we going to come together, or are
we going to pull apart? Are we going to make progress, or are we going to fail to provide basic human rights to everyone? Racial equality, gender equality, social justice, equal opportunity — these are critical to the success of our nation and we have a chance to seize the moment and make our country better.”
Leibovitch reiterated the club’s desire to make the Chester waterfront, of which the Union own and are developing some 100 acres, a 24/7 destination for business. He cited the aligned interests of the Chester community, government, the club and its sponsors (including new stadium sponsor Subaru) and business interests in the Wharf building as vital to making that happen. He floated ideas like a fieldhouse and daycare facilities as an early step to bring commercial and residential
development to Chester.
“I think if those four can come together with a common vision of building out this area and building out all of the areas around the stadium, we can really do something magical,” Leibovitch said. “We have a vision. We have a goal of building a center for recreation, for wellness, that’s something that both the community and the greater Philadelphia area can use. …
“It’s something we’ve wanted to do for a long time. But the pieces are starting to come together.”
Since April, the Union have undertaken the Fight for Philly campaign, raising money through auctions and T-shirt sales. It has channeled those funds into the local community via food banks, meal donations and providing personal protective equipment for frontline workers.