Sale Sharks held their inaugural Foundation Day on the 10th of May, a landmark event designed to raise awareness of the team’s positive community impact and to generate funds to support its extensive range of programs.
The Sale Sharks Foundation, the charitable arm of the rugby union team, celebrated a year of successful community-led initiatives with this first-ever dedicated awareness event. Foundation Day took place at the Salford Community Stadium, coinciding with the home match against Leicester Tigers later in the day.
Over the past three years, the Sale Sharks Foundation has positively impacted the lives of more than 35,000 individuals across the North West. The Foundation’s mission encompasses promoting education and health, fostering inclusivity, and uniting the community through the power of rugby.
Abi Dean, CEO of the Sale Sharks Foundation, remarked, “Our Foundation Day is not just about celebrating rugby, it’s about celebrating the impact we’ve had on our community. Through the support of our fans, partners, and the passion of our staff, we’ve been able to make a real difference in people’s lives. Foundation Day is our way of saying thank you, as well as bringing awareness to the huge range of inclusive sessions we deliver. A big thank you goes out to the Fans on the day! It’s fantastic to have support from people to make these programs a reality, which has been essential in allowing us to work with a growing numbers each year. We’re so excited to see what the future holds.”
Gus Karagiannis, Fundraising Manager of the Sale Sharks Foundation quoted: “Thanks to the incredible support from everyone, we raised a significant amount of money and helped spread awareness about who we are and what we stand for. We’re not just another Rugby club; community is at the heart of everything we do, and your support ensures that we can continue delivering life-changing programs across the North West.
A special shoutout to our amazing Foundation team, who go above and beyond to represent the Sharks and embody our values.”
The day was packed with engaging activities, including photo opportunities with current and former players like Will Cliff, signature boards from the Sharks community, and an inflatable rugby darts game. These activities not only entertained fans but also highlighted the Foundation’s community-centric initiatives.
Through an online raffle, auction, and donation portal, the event successfully raised over £8,000 and still counting. These funds will further support the Foundation’s busy calendar of events and its mission to create positive change through rugby.
Foundation Day has laid the groundwork for ongoing support from fans and the community, ensuring that the Sale Sharks Foundation can continue to deliver its impactful programs and make a real difference in the lives of many.
