Addison Lenhart
ICT
PHOENIX — A Phoenix non-profit is collaborating with the Arizona Cardinals on a ticket fundraiser for the NFL team’s upcoming game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Nov. 23.
A portion of every ticket sold through an exclusive link through United Natives will be donated to the organization and used to support mental health in youth sports and foster community outreach.
The United Natives is a nonprofit organization that expanded in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and was founded by Dr. Crystal Lee, Navajo.
“I started United Natives to assist and support the Navajo Nation, with COVID relief efforts,” Lee said. “Now our organization has grown into a national non-profit, and we’re in 26 states providing tele-mental health. The heart of the work that we do is just all community led and community based.”
United Natives was launched in 2010 by Lee and was originally designed as a mentorship program for Native students looking to attend college.
Since expanding in 2020, the organization has provided $1.5 million in aid to Native communities in Arizona.
“We offer free telehealth services to Native communities in 26 states, and Arizona is one of those service states,” United Natives Executive Director Tennalle John, Diné, said. “We host youth sports camps in Arizona, we have in Flagstaff and other parts as well. We do a lot of outreach in the state of Arizona.”
The fundraiser is the first official ticketing collaboration with the Cardinals, however it is not the first time the two organizations have crossed paths. Last year the Cardinals provided funding to United Natives for sports equipment for an all Native girls team in Northern Arizona.
“We were able to donate over $200 per kid thanks to the Arizona Cardinals,” John said. “The mission alone is that we’re trying to offer a healing service for our communities while also promoting youth enrichment and access to sports in general.”
John and Lee are optimistic about the opportunities and events this partnership could lead to in the future.
“This has the potential to grow into a larger more corporate themed Native American Heritage night,” John said. “We want to include special merchandise, a pre-game walk on the field to announce the United Natives, and to have a non-profit booth at the stadium to give out merchandise and information about our organization. To turn something into a large-scale production like that, it has to be something we’re working towards.”
Tickets to the game can be purchased through a link affiliated with SeatGeek.
“They have a special link they’ve created and provided, so they can keep track of how many tickets are sold,” John said. “After the event has concluded, they’ll then make a donation based on ticket sales.”
“This is more of a starting initiative that could grow into something much larger in the future,” Lee said.