Anthem Blue Cross Reach Multi-Year Partnership with Oakland Roots SC
Oakland Roots SC is gearing up for its inaugural season in the USL that is set to kick off on May 8th. Ahead of its season opener, the Bay Area club named Anthem Blue Cross as the uniform sponsor for the 2021 campaign. The partnership is highlighted by both organizations sharing the goal to provide physical and mental health support to communities that continue to recover from the pandemic.
USL NEWS: Oakland Roots Sports Club has announced a multi-year, purpose-driven partnership with Anthem Blue Cross (Anthem). Anthem will serve as Oakland Roots official health care benefits partner as well as the club’s jersey sponsor for the 2021 United Soccer League (USL) Championship season.
“We are excited to enter into this agreement which will see Roots proudly wear the Anthem logo on the front of our home and away Puma game jersey,” said Steven Powell, Oakland Roots Chief Revenue Officer. “Anthem shares our commitment to increasing awareness for critical health challenges and connecting our communities with resources to help them learn healthy behaviors and to get active.”
It is great to see a traditional ‘big-business’ like Blue Cross support soccer.
The partnership will run from the Roots’ inaugural season in the USL Championship through the 2023 season.
“We are thrilled to support and partner with Oakland Roots as they embark on their inaugural season in the USL Championship,” said Beth Andersen, President of Anthem Blue Cross Commercial Plans. “Together we will bring a unique reach into the region and we look forward to collaborating on a variety of health and wellness programs aimed at making the community a healthier place to live.”
The partnership is founded on the shared goals to bring physical and mental health support and services to communities recovering from the pandemic. Both pledged to jointly support efforts aimed at making a measurable impact through education, awareness and community health and wellness engagement initiatives.
“We will ‘kick off’ our partnership in May, during Mental Health Awareness Month, with a focus on the need to support the mental wellbeing of our youth who have been heavily impacted by COVID-19 and the lack of social interaction and support,” said Powell. “These challenges have been especially acute in communities of color that have been severely under-resourced. We’re looking forward to working with Anthem to make a significant difference in the lives of families in Oakland and the Bay Area.”
Oakland Roots supporters can purchase the jersey here.
Media Credit: Oakland Roots SC
