The Arizona Lottery donated $50,000 to the Banner Health Foundation to ensure the safety of the state’s student-athletes.
The Gives Back Sponsorship check, donated to the health system’s charitable foundation, covers sports physicals and concussion testing for over 1,000 Arizona high school athletes.
The Arizona Lottery gives back
The Arizona Lottery’s most recent donation to the Banner Health Foundation is part of a 40-year charitable legacy.
Since the Arizona Lottery’s inception, it has donated over $4.8 billion to state programs and charitable foundations.
Along with the donation to Banner Health, the Arizona lottery celebrated its 40th year by donating $40,000 to Save Our Saguaros, a National Forest Foundation program devoted to wildfire mitigation.
High school athletes’ safety
According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS), the number of student-athletes who suffer concussions is close to an epidemic level.
A recent study estimates that over 300,000 teens suffer concussions or other mild traumatic brain injuries while playing sports every year.
According to AAOS data, girls’ soccer has the highest incidence of all sports. Boys’ football and ice hockey account also for many injuries.
Around 10% of these traumatic brain injuries result in long-term effects like depression, mood changes, and memory loss.
Eliminating economic barriers to safety
The Banner Health Foundation’s “Game On: Youth Athlete Support Fund” covers the cost of baseline concussion testing. It also helps cover sports physicals for low-income Arizona student-athletes.
Though youth concussions are at an epidemic level, low-income students suffer the most. These students are more likely to play contact sports like football, and they’re far less likely to have access to adequate health care.
Continued devotion to the people of Arizona
The Arizona Lottery’s 40th-anniversary highlight’s the organization’s continued commitment to the well-being of Arizona citizens.
Since its inception, the Arizona Lottery has paid citizens over $10.5 billion in prizes. They’ve also paid $1.1 billion in retailer commissions. The $4.8 billion contributed to state programs and non-profit organizations are more vital.
The “Gives Back” program has and will continue to provide crucial support to Arizona’s most vulnerable population.
