SALT LAKE CITY, UT —The Ken Garff Season of Giving, in partnership with the Utah Jazz, continues to impact the local community and touch the lives of Utahns in need during the holidays with three upcoming activities, featuring a soft toy drive, party for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah, and a refugee holiday gathering.
“Few things exceed our love for the community than to fully engage in the Season of Giving initiative,” says Brett Hopkins, CEO of Ken Garff Automotive Group. “Joining with the Utah Jazz to help refugees in Utah, kids at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah, and a toy drive brightens hearts throughout this giving season and reminds us how we should treat each other all year long.”
“The Utah Jazz are grateful to have a partner in the Ken Garff Automotive Group that truly believes in the season of giving,” says Chris Barney, chief commercial officer for the Utah Jazz. “Their generosity has been overwhelming, and their desire to give back to the community has been inspirational to all of us.”
A drive for new stuffed animals and plush toys is ongoing at Vivint Arena for Jazz home games and at Ken Garff dealerships with collection boxes. Public donations will culminate with a halftime presentation at the Dec. 15 Jazz game against the New Orleans Pelicans. These new toys will be donated to a local non-profit for distribution to families in need.
Two Jazz players will be participating on Dec. 14 in a Holiday Hoopla party for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah. The event for a total of 100 Bigs (volunteer mentors) and Littles (youth in the program) will take place at NBA Ice Buckets in Trolley Square where they can shoot hoops on an indoor pop-up basketball court and win prizes for NBA All-Star 2023.
“Seeing expressions of surprise, joy and gratitude on the faces of kids and Utah’s newest refugee residents alike makes it all worth the effort,” said Hopkins.
On Dec. 17, Ken Garff is supporting a holiday event for 1,000 refugee families from the Utah Refugee Connection at Lincoln Elementary as part of its “Take Note x We’re ‘Hear’ for You” series of community events. In November, volunteers from Ken Garff partnered with Reach Out Today to treat 100 Murray City School District youth to a shopping spree at Kohl’s in Sugarhouse with assistance from Jazz Bear and the Zyia Active Jazz Dancers.
The Ken Garff Season of Giving with the Jazz began with the annual team visit to Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City by the Utah Jazz players, coaches, dancers, and mascot on Nov. 16.