Seven D-FW professional sports franchises — the Cowboys, Mavericks, Rangers, Stars, Wings, FC Dallas and Dallas Trinity FC — have championed the year-long...
As United Way of Metropolitan Dallas marks its 100-year anniversary Saturday with an array of memorable events at Fair Park and the— a food and wine festival, a VIP dinner for business and civic leaders, a can’t-miss concert starring Janet Jackson and Blake Shelton — another notable element comes into focus:— have championed the year-long centennial celebration as part of their strong partnerships with the community service organization — a rarely seen alignment of so many teams in one region behind a single cause.
“Only in Dallas does this kind of partnership happen,” Jennifer Sampson, CEO and president of United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, told. “It would be rare to find another city where 100% of the professional sports franchises are this invested. I think Dallas stands alone ... We’re setting the standard for what civic engagement through sports should look like nationwide here in Dallas. And it’s inspiring — it’s unifying." Talk with Sampson, a veteran of nearly 25 years with the social change organization, and hear her enthusiasm, hear her rattle off a long list of philanthropic efforts by the teams over the years — be it high-ranking executives, athletes likeOver the past year, the Centennial Volunteer Series alone included a bevy of events — all supercharged by the involvement of Dallas-area sports teams. Hall of Fame Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman posed with Jennifer Sampson after it was announced that Aikman will lead the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas 2017-18 fundraising campaign.for a STEM fest; Cowboys chief brand officer Charlotte Jones took part in Reading Day; Dallas Trinity FC played a large role in “Stock the Schools;” the Rangers were integral in a summer meals program; the Wings took part in a tree planting event; and the Mavericks were at the Dallas Zoo for a community program called “Jungle Bells.”What’s more, the Dallas-area pro teams are honorary host committee members and Centennial Event Anniversary Sponsors.. “I know so many of these families associated with these teams, and where their value systems are on helping out others. This is a great sports town. It loves major events. There’s been a lot of success over the years from that, and it’s a way for all of us to give back.” For a century, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas has sought to create access to education, income and health for all North Texans. Among their myriad of programs are Dollars for College, which expands access to affordable college savings accounts for low- and moderate-income families; North Texas Healthcare Collaborative, which provides short-term financial assistance to those who lost employer-sponsored health care coverage during the Covid-19 pandemic; and Character Playbook, which encourages students to build values with the involvement of NFL players.United Way’s relationship with the NFL dates back decades. Growing up, Hunt recalls his father, the late Lamar Hunt — founder of the American Football League and the Kansas City Chiefs — always expressing strong support for the United Way. They would have conversations about the importance of giving back, being supportive of an organization engaging in strong community service — conversations that the younger Hunt said left a mark with him. Those of a certain age remember early United Way commercials featuring Roger Staubach and other luminaries during NFL broadcasts. “I remember watching the NFL in the ’70s and United Way was synonymous with it,” Dallas Stars CEO Brad Alberts, a member of the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas board of directors, toldAlberts called Sampson “world class” and “as driven as any nonprofit leader I’ve ever been around.” That seven pro teams work deeply with United Way, he said, speaks to Sampson’s organized vision and ability to attract the franchises to her clear mission.The Dallas Cowboys and United Way of Metropolitan Dallas celebrate Reading Day. 19 October 2025: United Way commercial for Reading Day of the Dallas Cowboys during their regular season 44-22 win over the Washington Commanders at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Photo by James D. Smith/Dallas CowboysLaDondra Wilson, the Wings’ vice president of social responsibility and executive director of the Dallas Wings Community Foundation, said their pillars are women and girls, social justice, youth sports, health and wellness and education, making their collaboration with United Way essential. And Greg Bibb, CEO of the Wings, added that with their move from playing games in Arlington to Dallas in the coming years, they are doubling down on community impact efforts in the city of Dallas, making the centennial celebration the perfect opportunity to focus energy here. “I’ve had an opportunity to work in a handful of markets in my career, and all of them have been great for different reasons,” Bibb told. “But there’s never been a market where I’ve experienced the collaboration and the partnership amongst the teams for one another and then collectively supporting other things.” D-FW sports teams will have their fingerprints on Saturday’s celebration as well. Among the distinguished guests expected to take part: Dirk Nowitzki, Charles Haley, Darren Woodson, Blackman and Marty Turco.The D-FW pro sports teams have an “enormous megaphone that helps us get the word out about the important work we’re doing to create access and opportunity for more people to thrive here at home,” Sampson said. “And we couldn’t do it alone — like, we could not. We couldn’t have the reach that we do when we partner with these organizations. Only in Dallas does this type of partnership happen.”ESPN shutters ‘Bet’ app, strikes multiyear deal with DraftKings Disney and Penn ended a 10-year, $2 billion ESPN Bet agreement after failing to capture a significant market share over the past two years.The state’s answer to Delaware’s Chancery Court will see two pro-sports heavyweights fight over the future of their arena-sharing arrangement.Eric Prisbell is the senior sports business reporter at The Dallas Morning News. He spent more than 17 years as a national reporter at The Washington Post, USA Today and Sports Business Journal. Eric is a seven-time APSE award winner; four of his stories received honorable mention recognition in the Best of American Sports Writing anthologies.Read Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont’s letter to fans after he fired GM Nico Harrison
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