FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 29, 2024
Media Contact:
Chris Hendrickson, Communications Manager
Seattle Police Foundation
425-205-0328 ● chris@seattlepolicefoundation.org
Brand-new football event builds on the success of the Basketball Combine held in April
SEATTLE, Wash. – The Seattle Police Department Community Service Officer (CSO) Unit held its first-ever youth Football Combine, which invited high school athletes aged 17 – 19 onto the gridiron to perform in front of coaches and representatives from local colleges.
The event took place Saturday, July 20, 2024, at Genesee Park and Playfield, with roughly 25 student athletes braving the July heat for an afternoon of warm-ups, sprints, agility drills, and scrimmage. The event included free beverages, ice cream, and freshly grilled hotdogs courtesy of the Seattle Police Department Quartermaster Unit, which also served orange slices and other snacks. Mentors included Jacob Hurlbert from Pacific Northwest Christian College (PNWCC), John Bickford from Verity Movement, and Willamette University Defensive Coordinator and Defensive Backs Coach Tim Rude.
Each participant received a custom Football Combine jersey. The Football Combine was made possible by Seattle Police Foundation donors and was funded during SPF’s spring 2024 grants process.
“The Seattle Police Foundation is always looking for ways to bridge the gap between the men and women of the Seattle Police Department and the Seattle community,” said Seattle Police Foundation President and CEO Cherie Skager. “Athletic events like the Football Combine are a wonderful opportunity to build relationships, and we’re thrilled with this year’s successful outcome.”
Combine participants and guests were excited to welcome former Seattle Seahawks offensive tackle Walter Jones, who stopped by to offer professional guidance and answer questions. Inducted into both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Seahawks Ring of Honor, Jones played his entire 13-year professional career with the Seattle Seahawks and boasts an exemplary record.
The Combine embodied relationship-building at its finest. The event provided a platform for the CSO Unit’s first ever Bridge the Gap Memorial MVP Awards, which were presented to two Combine athletes for their exemplary performance throughout the day. The Awards honored fallen SPD Officer Alexandra “Lexi” Brenneman Harris and Det. Antonio Terry, alongside fallen Seattle community member Amarr Murphy-Paine, the 17-year-old who was shot and killed at Garfield High School in June.
Both Bridge the Gap Memorial MVP Awards were meant to serve as tangible symbols of unity between the Seattle Police Department and the community members it serves.
Lastly, as a surprise for Combine athletes, volunteers from AT&T gathered at the “end zone” to pass out free laptop computers to each participant as they left for the day. AT&T and Human-I-T donated a total of 100 refurbished laptops, along with 100 backpacks stuffed with school supplies, which will be distributed to Seattle students in need in the coming months.
AT&T also presented the Seattle Police Foundation with a check for $5,000 to support additional community outreach in Seattle.
“AT&T is proud to collaborate with organizations like Human-I-T and the Seattle Police Foundation to help close the digital equity gap in Seattle,” said Carl Gipson, State President, External Affairs, Washington. “We are grateful to the Seattle Police Foundation, the Seattle Police Department, and the Community Service Officers for including us in this wonderful opportunity to connect with youth and community.”
This distribution was part of a broader AT&T employee effort to help bridge the digital divide and equip 20,000 students across the country with laptops and backpacks before they head back to school. In addition to supplies like notebooks, pencils and headphones, the backpacks included cards of encouragement written by AT&T employees.
This effort is part of the AT&T Connected Learning® initiative to help address the digital divide through internet accessibility, affordability and safe adoption. AT&T is committing $5 billion to help 25 million people get and stay connected to high-speed internet by 2030.
Although the laptops were a surprise to Combine participants and guests, the gift was in perfect alignment with Jones’ message to the student athletes. He encouraged them to work hard in school to keep their grades up, as it would help them achieve their long-term athletic goals. And there’s nothing wrong with spending a couple years in junior college, added Jones, who grew up in Alabama and frequently refers to his two years in junior college the best thing that happened to him.
“Grades are the most important thing,” Jones said. “You can come out here and be great on the football field, but you have to be great in the classroom too.”
SPF is incredibly grateful to AT&T for the continued support of our work to improve officer and community safety and enhance quality of life for Seattle families. This is the fourth consecutive year that AT&T has partnered with SPF to support public safety in Seattle.
“The Seattle Police Foundation is grateful for partners like AT&T,” Skager said. “Collaboration makes us stronger. By working together, we’re able to have a more significant impact on the community.”
About Philanthropy & Social Innovation at AT&T
AT&T is committed to advancing education, creating opportunities, strengthening communities, and improving lives. As part of its companywide commitment to address the digital divide, it launched AT&T Connected Learning® to invest in connectivity and technology, digital literacy, and education solutions to help today’s learners succeed inside and outside of the classroom. Since 2008, AT&T has committed to programs that help millions of students across all 50 states, Washington D.C. and around the world, particularly those in underserved communities.
About the Seattle Police Foundation
The Seattle Police Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that raises supplemental funding for the Seattle Police Department to bridge the gap between what the city of Seattle can fund for SPD and what it cannot. SPF strives to improve public safety in Seattle by funding innovative new technology, advanced training and equipment, and programs that build relationships between SPD and the Seattle community. Please learn more about us on our website.
