Salt Lake City Stars Host Auction To Benefit Racial Equality

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Salt Lake City Stars are hosting an online auction to benefit the Racial Equality and Inclusion Fund. The team is auctioning signed game-worn jerseys, basketballs, and bobble-heads from Utah Jazz players Rudy Gobert and Joe Ingles. The auction began Thursday and runs through July 2.

According to the organization’s website, the Racial Equality and Inclusion Fund ” is invested in promoting greater understanding of equity, access, and inclusion so that we can support diverse populations that meaningfully impact Utah’s educational system, growing workforce, economy, and quality of life.”

By hosting the auction, the Stars hope to “provide critically needed financial assistance to nonprofit organizations supporting multicultural and underserved communities in Utah.”

We've launched an auction to benefit the Racial Equity and Inclusion Fund, a priority initiative of @MulticulturalUT.

You can bid on exclusive game-worn jerseys and signed items from Stars and @utahjazz players, and help a good cause!

AUCTION: https://t.co/AA4Kefd7Tg pic.twitter.com/RIOXAZw9qT

— Salt Lake City Stars (@slcstars) June 25, 2020

Items, including game-worn jerseys, start as low as $50. However, each piece can be bought outright at a set price for those not looking to compete in the auction.

Jazz players Jarrell Brantley, Justin Wright-Foreman, Nigel Williams-Goss, and Rayjon Tucker all have jerseys for sale. The highest-priced item is a basketball signed by the entire Jazz roster. The ball has an opening price of $150, and a Buy Now price of $500.

Utah Jazz Charity

The Jazz have been no strangers to charity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Guard Mike Conley has hosted several fundraising events to benefit those in need.

The guard raised $15,000 for the ALL IN Challenge. The auction included a round of golf, plus all included first-class airfare to play with Conley in Ohio. In March, the guard won the NBA H-O-R-S-E Challenge tournament that raised more than $200,000 for coronavirus response efforts.

Meanwhile, Rudy Gobert donated $500,000 to communities impacted by the coronavirus. Gobert was the first NBA player to publicly test positive for the virus in March. In May, Gobert hosted a video game tournament to raise money for his charity,  the Rudy’s Kids Foundation.

Rudy Gobert Contributes $500,000 to Part-Time Employees, COVID-Related Services in Utah. pic.twitter.com/BTAaITVnKM

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) March 14, 2020

Donovan Mitchell has been active in his fundraising efforts. The All-Star guard participated in the NBA 2k Tournament to help raise $100,000 for charity. Mitchell also partnered with the ALL IN Challenge to raise $25,000 by auctioning off pairs of his new shoes and courtside seats to a future Jazz game.

In April, Jazz guard Joe Ingles partnered with KeyBank to donate $10,000 to Kulture City, a non-profit organization that aims to make everyday environments more inclusive to people with autism and post-traumatic stress disorder.