ARTICLE
Want to attend a special event to celebrate a Community Treasure? Please join us Thursday, May 25 from 4:30pm - 6:30pm in celebrating the tremendous economic success that the Santa Cruz Warriors bring to our local community with a late afternoon social, located at the Back Nine Grill & Bar with appetizers and no-host bar. We will have an interactive conversation with our special guests General Manager Kent Lacob and President Chris Murphy. Joining them will be Mav'Rik the official mascot of the Santa Cruz Warriors. Click here to register So what actually defines a community treasure? Santa Cruz is renowned for its natural beauty, beaches and mountains. Santa Cruz is home to wonderful companies, organizations and local food establishments. While Santa Cruz is our coastal town, for years we yearned for something new and something that brings a community together. Just over five years ago, Santa Cruz was awakened with the sound of a basketball and the roar of a community embracing an NBA D-League basketball team coming to town. Five plus years later, a championship and many fun nights at Kaiser Permanente Arena, the Santa Cruz Warriors have become A Game Changer. On any given game night, you can see the downtown turn from a sleepy beach community to an invigorated, energetic and yes, loud crowd making their way down Pacific Avenue. Where else but Santa Cruz would you see fans stand at their feet until the first Warrior basket. The celebrating cheerful fans yell out 2 # 3 after a three point basket and when one of our Warriors slams home an unbelievable dunk — the arena actually shakes with the sound of the fans. Yes, this is a new thing for Santa Cruz. It is contagious. It is a grand night where you see community leaders, and fans of young and old come together. The Warriors have made an incredibly positive impact on our community and contributed to the revitalization efforts of the lower Pacific/Beach area. Bonnie Lipscomb, the City’s Economic Development Director said it distinctly, “There is no doubt that having the Warriors near downtown has been a boon to local restaurants.” Chris Murphy, the Warriors President is proud to say, the Warriors have 31 straight home games sold out. The City parking fees have averaged around $10-15,000 net per season in parking revenue. The City projects that they will receive roughly $750,000 in admissions tax by the end of the seven-year period. The Warriors are good on their word and have repaid close to half of the $4M loan the City provided to get the Warriors to ‘get the ball rolling.’ Our City has been a partner and supporter with the Warriors and they are in constant communication with the Seaside Company on a strategy to find a permanent home for the Warriors in Santa Cruz. The Warriors are not only a high flying D-League phenomena, they are the real deal. Beyond being an exciting team to watch, with quality players who have melded into our community; beyond the fun and festive games and the economic engine they bring to Santa Cruz, they are “family.” The players, coaches and the Warrior staff have inserted themselves into our town by being active community supporters for our kids, our seniors and people with limited means. Just look at their outreach activities over the past five years. Community Engagement 500 community appearance in the five years —the 5 for 500 We have been overwhelmed and gratified by the support from the Santa Cruz community and the best fans in the D-League. Off the court, a vital part of our identity is service and giving back to the place we call home. Over the last four years, the Warriors have participated in over 500 community events, serving Santa Cruz City Schools, non-profits, and organizations that champion causes to make Santa Cruz a better place. Warriors Get Fit with Kaiser Permanente Get Fit is a year-round community platform focusing on fitness, wellness, and nutrition education to build a healthier community at events hosted at schools, community gathering places, and at Kaiser Permanente Arena. Outreach: 10,000 youth (aimed) Target: Elementary, Middle School, and High School Students all over the Central Coast Sponsor: Kaiser Permanente Math Warriors 3 years Math Warriors integrates a “basketball math” curriculum in schools, coupling basketball and math in the classroom to give students a fresh and positive re-introduction to math. Outreach: 4,200 Santa Cruz County students Target: Elementary and Middle School Students Sponsor: Kaiser Permanente Read to Achieve Read to Achieve is the most extensive educational outreach initiative in the history of professional sports, aiming to develop a life-long love of reading and literacy in local students. Outreach: Over 1.5 billion words read; 6,500 students on the Central Coast participate each year Target: Elementary and Middle School Students Sponsor: Kaiser Permanente
Want to attend a special event to celebrate a Community Treasure?
Please join us Thursday, May 25 from 4:30pm - 6:30pm in celebrating the tremendous economic success that the Santa Cruz Warriors bring to our local community with a late afternoon social, located at the Back Nine Grill & Bar with appetizers and no-host bar. We will have an interactive conversation with our special guests General Manager Kent Lacob and President Chris Murphy. Joining them will be Mav'Rik the official mascot of the Santa Cruz Warriors.
Click here to register
So what actually defines a community treasure?
Santa Cruz is renowned for its natural beauty, beaches and mountains. Santa Cruz is home to wonderful companies, organizations and local food establishments. While Santa Cruz is our coastal town, for years we yearned for something new and something that brings a community together.
Just over five years ago, Santa Cruz was awakened with the sound of a basketball and the roar of a community embracing an NBA D-League basketball team coming to town. Five plus years later, a championship and many fun nights at Kaiser Permanente Arena, the Santa Cruz Warriors have become A Game Changer. On any given game night, you can see the downtown turn from a sleepy beach community to an invigorated, energetic and yes, loud crowd making their way down Pacific Avenue. Where else but Santa Cruz would you see fans stand at their feet until the first Warrior basket. The celebrating cheerful fans yell out 2 # 3 after a three point basket and when one of our Warriors slams home an unbelievable dunk — the arena actually shakes with the sound of the fans. Yes, this is a new thing for Santa Cruz. It is contagious. It is a grand night where you see community leaders, and fans of young and old come together.
The Warriors have made an incredibly positive impact on our community and contributed to the revitalization efforts of the lower Pacific/Beach area. Bonnie Lipscomb, the City’s Economic Development Director said it distinctly, “There is no doubt that having the Warriors near downtown has been a boon to local restaurants.”
Chris Murphy, the Warriors President is proud to say, the Warriors have 31 straight home games sold out.
The City parking fees have averaged around $10-15,000 net per season in parking revenue. The City projects that they will receive roughly $750,000 in admissions tax by the end of the seven-year period. The Warriors are good on their word and have repaid close to half of the $4M loan the City provided to get the Warriors to ‘get the ball rolling.’ Our City has been a partner and supporter with the Warriors and they are in constant communication with the Seaside Company on a strategy to find a permanent home for the Warriors in Santa Cruz.
The Warriors are not only a high flying D-League phenomena, they are the real deal. Beyond being an exciting team to watch, with quality players who have melded into our community; beyond the fun and festive games and the economic engine they bring to Santa Cruz, they are “family.” The players, coaches and the Warrior staff have inserted themselves into our town by being active community supporters for our kids, our seniors and people with limited means. Just look at their outreach activities over the past five years.
Community Engagement
500 community appearance in the five years —the 5 for 500 We have been overwhelmed and gratified by the support from the Santa Cruz community and the best fans in the D-League. Off the court, a vital part of our identity is service and giving back to the place we call home. Over the last four years, the Warriors have participated in over 500 community events, serving Santa Cruz City Schools, non-profits, and organizations that champion causes to make Santa Cruz a better place.
Warriors Get Fit with Kaiser Permanente Get Fit is a year-round community platform focusing on fitness, wellness, and nutrition education to build a healthier community at events hosted at schools, community gathering places, and at Kaiser Permanente Arena. Outreach: 10,000 youth (aimed) Target: Elementary, Middle School, and High School Students all over the Central Coast Sponsor: Kaiser Permanente Math Warriors 3 years Math Warriors integrates a “basketball math” curriculum in schools, coupling basketball and math in the classroom to give students a fresh and positive re-introduction to math. Outreach: 4,200 Santa Cruz County students Target: Elementary and Middle School Students Sponsor: Kaiser Permanente Read to Achieve Read to Achieve is the most extensive educational outreach initiative in the history of professional sports, aiming to develop a life-long love of reading and literacy in local students. Outreach: Over 1.5 billion words read; 6,500 students on the Central Coast participate each year Target: Elementary and Middle School Students Sponsor: Kaiser Permanente