The company founded by NBA star LeBron James and his best buddy Maverick ‘Mav’ Carter is now partnering with The Jackie Robinson Foundation (JRF) “with an impactful product drop this month in honor of Jackie Robinson Day,” which took place April 15.
The SpringHill Company and specifically its subsidiary UNINTERRUPTED were founded by James and Carter in June 2020, supported by a $100 million funding round. UUNINTERRUPTED is Springhill’s ‘athlete empowerment’ media, experiences and consumer products brand, but the company also owns Springhill Entertainment, which works on film and TV projects, and The Robot Company, a brand and culture consultancy.
UNINTERRUPTED and JRF are dropping a new branded clothing collection which will also raise funds for the Foundation. The collection consists of a long-sleeve shirt in three colorways and will be available for purchase exclusively from the UNINTERRUPTED store, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Jackie Robinson Foundation. The collection features Jackie Robinson Construction Corporation graphics as well as the number (201) 429-5466, which the collection encourages people to call for a special message.
“Jackie Robinson captures the spirit of UNINTERRUPTED’s “More Than An Athlete” mantra beautifully,” the company said in a statement. “In 1970, Jackie Robinson launched the Jackie Robinson Construction Company to build low and moderate-income housing for minorities. In October 1972, during a ceremony to throw out the first pitch before a World Series game, he made a point to remind everyone that baseball had yet to appoint its first Black manager. His efforts and activism created a ripple effect that still inspires and impacts people today.”
The Jackie Robinson Construction Corporation’s services and values, which are featured on the back of the long-sleeve, reflect the work the JRF is doing today:
- Laying Down Foundations – the Jackie Robinson Scholars Program awarding generous four-year grants.
- Tearing Down Walls – closing the opportunity achievement gap in higher education and the workforce.
- Community Development – giving resources to some of the brightest minds to go out and make an impact in their community, in addition to mentoring them to get into – and excel in – the workforce.
- Breaking New Ground – ending the cycle of higher education being unattainable for lower-income minorities.
- Building Bridges – JRF has built bridges for those who normally wouldn’t have the opportunity to pursue higher education and those who wouldn’t have the resources to develop into incredibly strong professionals.
“We are so proud to be a part of this brilliant campaign connecting Jackie Robinson’s commitment to effect change on and off the playing field to More Than an Athlete,” said Della Britton, CEO of The Jackie Robinson Foundation. “The SpringHill Company and UNINTERRUPTED educate and inspire the public with this collection, while boosting our efforts to support young leaders by generously including JRF. This is what “empowerment” looks like. We could not be more grateful to SpringHill Company and Uninterrupted, and the folks at IMG, who connected us and helped bring this partnership to life.”
The partnership was brokered by IMG, which was recently appointed by the Jackie Robinson Foundation to develop licensing, cause marketing, and institutional campaign initiatives that will drive awareness for and help fund the Foundation’s work.