While it is centered around the holidays, the New York Liberty’s “Season of Giving,” a campaign led by Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment (BSE), which unites the Liberty, the Brooklyn Nets, and the Long Island Nets, didn’t conclude until the end of January. Throughout a three-month period, BSE produced meaningful events that touched communities in Brooklyn and across New York City.
“We’re out in the community all year long; we probably do more than 150 events throughout the year … across Brooklyn and the city,” said Marissa Shorenstein, BSE chief external affairs officer. “For Season of Giving, we have conversations months in advance with our community partners, with local leaders, with community organizers, to understand what’s happening in the communities, what their needs are. Each year, we expand our reach.”
During planning, they heard a lot about food insecurity. On November 21, Liberty players Natasha Cloud and Rebekah Gardner joined Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso in distributing meals to more than 125 community-based organizations. On November 26, the Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty Foundation, in partnership with the Downtown Brooklyn Neighborhood Alliance and Levy Restaurants, provided 5,000 hot Thanksgiving meals — the largest meal donation in the history of BSE’s Season of Giving campaign.
“We’re really proud and lucky to have Liberty players that are so engaged and active,” said Shorenstein. “They’re very keyed into issues facing both New Yorkers and Americans, so they volunteer for these things. A lot of them are not in market this time of year because it’s off-season for them, but Tash and Rebekah were really excited to work with the borough president at that event.”
The Liberty donated shoes to a local community and helped pack gift bags for the Ali Forney Center winter carnival. January brought BSE two high-impact events: the Second Annual Shine Loud Sunday Soirée and the winter coat distribution. Among the Soirée honorees were Dr. Marilyn Fraser, CEO of the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health, and Lynnette Verges, chief operating officer of the National Alliance on Mental Illness–New York City. The coat distribution, in collaboration with New York Cares, brought more than 300 winter coats to elementary school students in need.
“We had almost 400 kids come through our doors for World Basketball Day,” said Shorenstein. “Every year, we try [to] create that touch point and sense of community.”
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