Month: June 2025

Originally published on DICK’S Sporting Goods Sideline Report

June 11 marked a historic first for DICK’S Sporting Goods and The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation. Twenty DICK’S House of Sport locations nationwide came alive with energy, excitement and sport for the inaugural “Sports Matter Day of Play”. As part of the festivities The DICK’S Foundation invited youth organizations from communities across the country to participate in a day dedicated to celebrating play, access and opportunity in sports at their local DICK’S House of Sport location.

This first-of-its-kind event was designed to give young athletes the chance to explore and experience new sports. From soccer drills in Boston to softball swings in Miami, each House of Sport became a vibrant, hands-on arena where kids could discover the joy of play. Designed to be inclusive and engaging, the activities encouraged curiosity and confidence in a variety of sports. For many, it was their very first time holding a lacrosse stick, swinging a golf club or rock climbing with encouragement from local coaches and mentors.

“There is nothing better than seeing kids light up when they get to play a sport for the first time,” said Rick Jordan, VP of The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation. “Thats what the day was all about, getting to create those moments and showing young athletes that they belong on the field, the court or wherever their passion leads them.”

In addition to a fun day of play at House of Sport, participating organizations also received a Sports Matter grant from The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation, to help ensure that their vital work in the community can continue to thrive. The grants underscore The Foundation’s ongoing mission to provide access and equity in youth sports, one athlete at a time. Since 2014, DICK’S Sporting Goods and The DICK’S Foundation has helped over 3 million kids and committed over $100 million to support young athletes with equipment, registration fees, league costs and playing fields through its Sports Matter Program.

“To have our organization recognized and supported today means a lot to us,” said Jamaal Wornum, CEO and Founder of One Love Sports Academy in Boston. “The kids had a blast trying new sports and events like these are a game-changer for our program that will keep more kids doing what they love.”

The Full List of Participating Organizations and DICK’S House of Sport Locations includes:

• Flyght Academy (Dayton, OH)
• Boys & Girls Club of SEVA (Chesapeake, VA)
• We ALL-EN Foundation and Pitreboyz Foundation (Katy, TX)
• Tulsa Dream Center (Tulsa, OK)
• Boston SCORES and One Love Sports Academy (Boston, MA)
• Bolder Options and Girl’s On The Run (Minnetonka, MN)
• Emerald Youth Foundation (Knoxville, TN)
• Houston reVision (Baybrook, TX)
• Rochester City Soccer (Victor, NY)
• Play Ball Foundation (Salem, MA)
• Girl Scouts of Western Oklahoma and Oklahoma Adaptive Sports Association (Oklahoma City, OK)
• Boys & Girls Club Capital Region (Latham, NY)
• Friendly House (Davenport, IA)
• Sulfur Springs YMCA (Tampa, FL)
• Champaign Parks District (Champaign, IL)
• Pembroke Pines YMCA (Miami, FL)
• Rodney Street Tennis (Brandywine, PA)
• Boys & Girls Club of Binghamton and Police Athletic League of Binghamton (Johnson City, NY)
• Girls on the Run (Scranton, PA)
• Primetime Elite Bulldogs and Two-Six Elite (Fayetteville, NC)

Written by Peyton Moriarity

Yum! Brands

At Yum!, we operate close to 61,000 restaurants in 155-plus countries and territories. One key to our success? Maximizing franchise operating capability.

Watch the latest episode of “Quick Bite,” the series that brings you Yum! news in about a minute, to learn what we look for in our partners and how we work together to build the world’s most loved, most trusted and fastest-growing restaurant brands.

On June 5, 2025, AEG Presents and Goldenvoice brought together aspiring entertainment professionals for an unforgettable experience at the Cali Vibes College Connection Program at the Long Beach Convention Center. This immersive event, which was part of the lead-up to the Cali Vibes Festival, offered college students and young adults a rare behind-the-scenes look at the live music industry.

The program welcomed a select group of participants for a day-long exploration of careers in live entertainment, including a guided tour of the Cali Vibes Festival site before it opened to the public. Attendees engaged in a panel discussion with industry veterans, gaining insights into event production, operations, artist relations, and more.

“The College Connection Program at Cali Vibes is about more than just access, it’s about possibility. We created this experience to show students that there’s space for them in the live music industry, not just as fans, but as future leader,” said Twana Simmons, DEI Business Partner, AEG Presents. “Watching them engage, ask questions, and light up throughout the day reminded all of us why this work matters. We’re proud to provide hands-on experiences that open doors, build confidence, and show students that there’s a place for them in this industry.”

Participants also had the opportunity to network with professionals, explore entry-level job opportunities, and receive mentorship from seasoned experts. The initiative emphasized diversity and inclusion, encouraging students from all backgrounds to pursue careers in entertainment.

Held just days before the Cali Vibes Festival (June 7–8 at Marina Green Park), the College Connection Program reflects AEG’s broader commitment to education, community engagement, and workforce development in the arts.

To learn more about AEG, AEG Presents and Goldenvoice please click here.

“Gen is purpose-driven and committed to making a positive global impact. We anchor our corporate responsibility strategy in our business priorities and people’s needs — helping individuals, families and educators thrive by using technology safely. We believe our approach to corporate responsibility helps manage risks and maximize opportunities for success. We seek to make a positive impact on both our business and society by helping people build digital skills, creating pathways into technology careers for more people, limiting our environmental impacts and bettering the world through digital safety access and education. We believe what we do leads back to Powering Digital Freedom.”

Kim Allman – Head of CR and Government Affairs at Gen 

Today, Gen™ (NASDAQ: GEN) releases its 2025 Social Impact Report. At Gen, our mission is to create innovative and easy to-use technology solutions that help people grow, manage, and secure their digital and financial lives. Dual headquartered in Tempe, Arizona (USA) and Prague, Czech Republic, Gen is a global company dedicated to powering Digital Freedom through its trusted brands including Norton, Avast, LifeLock, MoneyLion and more. There’s a new generation, and it’s not Gen X, Y, or Z. It’s Gen D: Generation Digital. Our family of consumer brands is rooted in providing financial empowerment and cyber safety for the first digital generations. Today, Gen empowers people to live their digital lives safely, privately, and confidently for generations to come. Gen brings award-winning products and services in cybersecurity, online privacy, identity protection and financial wellness to nearly 500 million users in more than 150 countries.

The Company’s latest Social Impact Report demonstrates how it brings together the teams’ passions and technology to support people and communities, making the world a better, safer place. 

The Gen social impact strategy allows the Company to reach youth, families and educators with the digital education and training they need to navigate their digital lives. In addition to cultivating a culture of giving, the Company builds products that help protect the privacy and personal data of its customers and takes steps to help protect the planet. 

Some highlights from the 2025¹ report include:

• Gen reached more than 5.4 million people through its digital education and training programs, up from 2.8 million in 2023.

• 67% of Gen employees participated in its volunteering and giving programs, far surpassing the Company’s expectations. 

• The Company contributed $4.5 million in charitable giving, including $1.87 million in product donations to more than 8,700 nonprofits.

• Globally, 35% of the Gen global workforce and 40% of the Board of Directors self-identified as women.

• Gen achieved a 12% reduction in total greenhouse gas emissions.

• The Sustainable Home Improvement Program, an employee benefit providing cash incentives for home improvement projects that reduce environmental impacts, has helped employees complete more than 2,000 green home projects in 2025.

Gen was recognized with numerous social impact awards in 2025, including Newsweek’s Most Responsible Companies, America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity and one of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Women. We were also listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index (DJSI). Learn more about how Gen is protecting and empowering people in the digital world in its 2025 Social Impact Report.

About Gen

Gen (NASDAQ: GEN) is a global company dedicated to powering Digital Freedom through its trusted consumer brands including Norton, Avast, LifeLock, MoneyLion and more. The Gen family of consumer brands is rooted in providing financial empowerment and cyber safety for the first digital generations. Today, Gen empowers people to live their digital lives safely, privately, and confidently for generations to come. Gen brings award-winning products and services in cybersecurity, online privacy, identity protection and financial wellness to nearly 500 million users in more than 150 countries. Learn more at GenDigital.com.

¹Refers to Gen’s fiscal year ending March 2025

Media Contact
Audra Proctor
Gen

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Gildan is embracing technological advancements and bolstering worker safety by modernizing its approach towards product transportation in its Eden, North Carolina distribution centre. Recently, the Company implemented approximately 19 putaway and picking robots on site to assist with transportation of full product cases, minimizing the need for workers to manually move product throughout the warehouse and therefore enhancing worker safety.

“I’m excited for our Distribution teams to engage with this new automation technology,” says Bill Griffin, Director of Distribution Operations. “In addition to improving operator and facility safety, this technology is expected to improve efficiency and quality of the workflow, firmly supporting the Gildan Sustainable Growth strategy’s three pillars of capacity-driven growth, innovation, and ESG.”

Quiet and efficient, the robots can lift payloads of up to 600 lbs, and will work collaboratively with operators to physically move cases between carts and designated locations for processing. “Robot-assisted transportation is an important step towards digitizing, innovating, and optimizing certain components of our distribution processes, enabling us to expand our capabilities and better service our customers,” says Tripp Parks, Director of Process Improvement, and project team member of the robotics initiative.

While the robots offer a significant opportunity for the Company’s distribution centres, they also open new paths for growth and career development for employees, who are offered training and equipped with the skillset required to engage with the new technology. With its two-pronged benefits for both the supply chain and for Gildan’s people, this innovation will continue to better position the Company for growth. 

To learn more about Gildan, click here.

Originally published on Aflac Newsroom

Ryan Zimmerman began his life with cancer. When he was born, his doctors discovered that he had a rare form of the disease — fibrosarcoma, a connective tissue cancer that primarily occurs in adults — and amputated his leg up to the hip. Despite it spreading to his lung, Ryan eventually became a survivor of his type of cancer.

Being a kid looked no different for Ryan, who spent his childhood years playing soccer and music, as well as skateboarding — in fact, Ryan learned to skateboard before he learned to walk.

“Growing up, I spent a lot of time at the children’s hospital with an incredible care team and a lot of play therapy,” said Ryan. “Now, as an adult, I realize that play is something that never really goes away, and it has helped me develop a creative mind.”

It’s that mindset that drove Ryan to go back to school to pursue a degree in computer science.

“Honestly, I didn’t think I’d be around to build a career,” said Ryan. “But after getting married and realizing that I just may have a very full life ahead, I wanted to put my drive for innovation to use.”

During his studies, Ryan became the vice president of the Association for Computing Machinery club, the world’s largest educational and scientific computing society. At one of their breakfast events, someone from Aflac’s IT team spoke about the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta in her presentation, and he was instantly amazed.

“As a childhood cancer survivor, I was in awe of the work done at the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center,” said Ryan. “After researching their programs and Aflac itself, I realized I had just found the perfect place where I can combine my technical interests with my core values and desire to give back to the medical community that enabled me to claim the title of ‘survivor.’”

This year — while juggling a master’s degree program at Georgia Institute of Technology — Ryan joined the Aflac flock as an IT apprentice. “I’ve always felt that if you don’t lose track of time while you’re doing something, maybe it’s not your passion,” said Ryan. “I love that I can be completely absorbed in what I do every day, and I get to do work that has a big impact.”

This article is for informational purposes only and is not a solicitation for insurance.

Aflac | Aflac New York | WWHQ 1932 Wynnton Road | Columbus, GA 31999

Z2500402 Exp. 6/26

BALTIMORE, June 12, 2025 /3BL/ – The T. Rowe Price Foundation announces its launch of the East Side Impact Grant, a $1.25 million investment over three years aimed at strengthening eight community-based organizations and neighborhood associations in East Baltimore. This initiative is part of the Foundation’s broader $6.5 million grant program, which helps address gaps in Baltimore’s nonprofit sector and represents the Foundation’s largest commitment to date. 

“We pride ourselves on supporting the communities where associates live and work,” said Raymone Jackson, head of Community Affairs and president of the T. Rowe Price Foundation. “With our new headquarters at Harbor Point, we wanted to further support the East Baltimore community through these impact grants.” 

With this support of neighborhood associations and nonprofit organizations that serve East Baltimore families and commitment to education, T. Rowe Price associates also can engage directly with grantee organizations, contributing through volunteer service and personal donations to further support the grant initiatives. 

Grant recipients include:

Baltimore Urban Leadership Foundation, Inc. (The Door)

Grant amount: $125,000

Through collaborative partnerships, direct service, and resource development, The Door focuses on youth leadership, family strengthening, and community building to address real challenges. 

Banner Neighborhoods Community Corporation 

Grant amount: $125,000

Banner provides vital services like home repairs and social support for seniors, as well as neighborhood improvement and educational and job-readiness programs for youth.

Historic East Baltimore Community Action Coalition (HEBCAC)

Grant amount: $125,000

HEBCAC supports strong, diverse neighborhoods that respect their history while building a brighter future, offering resources that promote economic self-sufficiency and enhance livability. 

Living Classrooms Foundation

Grant amount: $150,000

Living Classrooms inspires children, youth, and adults to achieve their potential through hands-on education, workforce development, health and wellness, and community safety programs that use urban, natural, and maritime resources as “living classrooms.”

Global Refuge (formerly Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service)

Grant amount: $125,000

Global Refuge offers resettlement, legal services, mental health support, and crisis response to newcomers, providing essential resources and advocacy for those seeking refuge. 

McKim Community Association 

Grant amount: $125,000

Through its McKim Center and “Free School,” the nonprofit has enriched the lives of youth and families through programs focused on athletics, academics, and neighborhood safety.

The Southeast Community Development Corporation (CDC)

Grant amount: $125,000

The Southeast CDC partners with residents, organizations, and local institutions to revitalize neighborhoods, support homeownership, and improve family stability.

Waterfront Partnership

Grant amount: $350,000

Waterfront Partnership supports efforts to enhance and promote Baltimore’s waterfront district, parks, and public spaces and acknowledges and educates visitors of the indigenous history of Point Park.

Since its establishment in 1981, the T. Rowe Price Foundation has provided more than $194 million in grants to community-based organizations. Learn more about the T. Rowe Price Foundation.

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ABOUT T. ROWE PRICE FOUNDATION
Headquartered in Baltimore, T. Rowe Price helps individuals and institutions around the world achieve their long-term investment goals. As a large global asset management company known for investment excellence, retirement leadership, and independent proprietary research, the firm is built on a culture of integrity that puts client interests first. Through its philanthropic arm, the T. Rowe Price Foundation, the firm has been committed to supporting the local nonprofit community and has given more than $194 million USD in direct grants since inception in 1981. For more information, visit troweprice.com/foundation.

T. ROWE PRICE CONTACT 
Tiane Harrison
410-577-2216
Tiane.Harrison@troweprice.com

Originally published on Ragan
By Ashleigh Pollart

Hershey’s rich legacy stretching back to 1894 doesn’t make our workforce immune to modern challenges. Employees must navigate competing priorities, not having enough hours in the day, delivering results in a changing marketplace, and evolving with ever-shifting consumer behaviors and industry trends.

I stepped into employee communications in early 2024 after focusing on external channels and audiences. Hershey Communications is a team of innovative, top-of-their-game professionals with a strong external perspective and a deep understanding of employee needs. Combined with my focus on data-driven insights, we dove into what our employees were saying – either directly or more discreetly. At the same time, we were also becoming a new kind of company. With the integration of salty snacks brands, Hershey was no longer solely a candy maker, but a multi-category snacking company. Meaning we had to navigate operational changes, including organizational structure, on top of shifting external factors.

Continue reading here.