After six years of having cancer-research nonprofit 5 for the Fight as their jersey patch sponsor, the Utah Jazz will announce a new patch partnership on Thursday morning.
Meanwhile, the team will maintain its relationship with 5 for the Fight in the form of “permanent placement [of signage] in the Delta Center with interactive spaces on the concourse and representation within the arena bowl,” the Jazz announced Tuesday morning.
When the Jazz originally announced their partnership with 5 for the Fight (a campaign inviting everyone to donate $5 to the fight against cancer), the nonprofit had a stated goal of raising $50 million for cancer research.
Which it now has.
“With the help of Utah Jazz fans, partners, and the community, 5 For The Fight has crossed the $50M mark. It was an ambitious goal we set at the time we announced the jersey patch,” Mike Maughan, co-founder of 5 For The Fight, said in a statement. “It has been amazing to see the entire community rally around the cause and get involved.”
When the Jazz’s jersey patch partnership with Qualtrics (the company co-founded by Jazz owner Ryan Smith) was announced in 2017, and Qualtrics opted to rep 5 for the Fight on the patch, it marked the first-ever cause-related jersey patch sponsorship in the history of North American professional sports.
After an initial two-year run, a four-year extension was announced in 2019.
According to a statement released by the team, since being announced as the Jazz’s jersey patch partner, 5 For The Fight has provided funding to 17 cancer research centers; created positions for 32 cancer research fellows in the U.S. and in Europe; created the 5 For The Fight Cancer Research Fellowship to help early-stage cancer researchers accelerate their cancer research; established the 5 For The Fight Cancer Research Internship in partnership with Howard University to increase representation in medicine; established the Dermot Costello Cancer Immunology Fellowship in conjunction with Breakthrough Cancer Research and Cork Cancer Care Centre in Ireland; and engaged more than 200,000 people from over 20 countries through 5Ks, golf classics, and 5 For The Fight nights.
In terms of 5 for the Fight’s ongoing representation at Jazz games in the Delta Center, an area on the concourse near the arena’s main entrance will be home to the 5 For The Fight “All In Until Cancer Gives In” Wall.
According to the team’s release: “The wall was designed by VGS, the creative force behind Post Malone’s Raising Cane’s restaurant activation. The space enables fans to dedicate their ‘5′ for someone they know who is fighting cancer, take a photo, donate, and enter to win exclusive Jazz memorabilia. In addition, Utah Jazz players have recorded a variety of supportive messages that fans can personalize and send digitally to loved ones who are in the fight against cancer.”
