BLUE COATS NAMED TO THE CIVIC 50 BY PHILADELPHIA FOUNDATION  

TEAM RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF THE 50 MOST COMMUNITY-MINDED ORGANIZATIONS IN GREATER PHILADELPHIA REGION

WILMINGTON, DE – The Delaware Blue Coats, NBA G League affiliate of the Philadelphia 76ers, have been named a 2022 honoree of The Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia by Philadelphia Foundation, in partnership with Points of Light and local partners. Modeled after Points of Light’s national program, The Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia provides a standard for corporate citizenship and showcases how employers use their time, skills and resources to drive social impact in their communities and company.

“We are beyond honored to be recognized among The Civic 50,” said Blue Coats President Larry Meli. “Our team is driven to use the power of basketball to do good in our community. The Blue Coats’ Books & Basketball and Open Gym programs, made possible by our incredible partners Nemours and AmeriHealth Caritas, respectively, are the heart and soul of our drive to positively influence kids in our surrounding neighborhoods. Thank you to Philadelphia Foundation and the partners of The Civic 50 for their support and motivation in continuing to build these programs and expand our efforts.”

Blue Coats Open Gym, presented by AmeriHealth Caritas Delaware, is a free youth basketball program for children at Chase Fieldhouse, the Blue Coats home arena in Wilmington, Delaware. Twice a month, Blue Coats coaches, players and staff open the facility for basketball drill instruction, skill development, and mentorship opportunities. In all, more than 1,000 children registered for the complimentary program in its first year.

Books & Basketball, presented by Nemours Children’s Health, is the team’s youth literacy program currently in its sixth year of operation. Blue Coats players, mascot Coaty and staff visit local classrooms, where they emphasize the importance of reading at grade level and deliver free books to students. To date, the team has distributed more than 67,000 books and made more than 300 classroom visits.

The Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia honorees are private and public companies and other employers operating in the Philadelphia region. They have been selected based on four dimensions of their community engagement program:

• Investment of resources
• Integration across business functions
• Institutionalization through policies and system
• Impact measurement.

Since 2011, The Civic 50 has provided a national standard for superior corporate citizenship and has showcased how companies use their time, skills and other resources to drive social impact in their business and community.

“Philadelphia Foundation is proud to recognize the Delaware Blue Coats’ outstanding civic engagement,” said Pedro Ramos, President and Chief Executive Officer of Philadelphia Foundation. “All of the 2022 honorees have demonstrated great passion and dedication to making a meaningful impact in the local communities they serve. It is this type of commitment that resonates throughout a region and sets the standard for corporate stewardship. We thank the Blue Coats for their efforts and congratulate them on this exciting honor.”

Also in keeping with Philadelphia Foundation’s role in advancing civic initiatives through partnerships and collaboration, it serves as home to the Greater Philadelphia Corporate Volunteer Council, as well as the Key Skills Hub – a market place that matches community nonprofits with skills-based volunteers, free of charge.

“Points of Light believes that corporate leadership and commitment to civic engagement is critical to strengthening communities, and The Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia honorees including the Blue Coats exemplify that,” said Natalye Paquin, President and Chief Executive Officer of Points of Light. “Their inclusiveness and comprehensive approach to corporate citizenship, as well as their responsiveness to reflect, learn from each other and respond to community needs, make the Greater Philadelphia region a better place for all. We are so pleased to recognize them for taking their civic responsibility seriously, and for the role they play in shaping their communities.”

The Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia honorees were officially recognized on Thursday, June 23^rd, at a celebratory event at the AmerisourceBergen Corporate Headquarters located in Conshohocken, PA.

The Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia assessment is administered by True Impact, a company specializing in helping organizations maximize and measure their social and business value and consists of quantitative and multiple-choice questions that inform scoring process.

To learn more about The Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia and honorees, please visit philafound.org/civic-50.