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BOSTON, Sept. 29, 2022 -- DraftKings Inc. (Nasdaq: DKNG) today announced that this October, during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the company will host its fourth annual Pink ‘Em charity initiative in collaboration with The Larry Fitzgerald Foundation with a goal of donating $100,000 for breast cancer research and support for those impacted. Since launching the Pink ‘Em initiative in 2019, DraftKings’ monthlong program has received over $330,000 in donations through free-to-play, pick ‘em pools during the NFL’s October game slate. This October, the Pink ‘Em initiative will be featured in its first company-wide brand campaign for DraftKings, following the recent appointment of Larry Fitzgerald as an official DraftKings brand ambassador.
“With millions of football fans playing on DraftKings every week of the NFL season, we have an exciting opportunity to leverage our platform to empower significant causes like Breast Cancer Awareness Month through our Pink ‘Em initiative,” said Jason Robins, CEO and co-founder of DraftKings. “Raising over $330,000 for The Larry Fitzgerald Foundation with this program is no small feat, and I look forward to seeing our player community engaged once again to reach our donation goal this October.”
Pink ‘Em charity pools will be offered during Weeks 4 through 8 of the NFL schedule, and customers will be able to pick their team line-ups for each matchup to compete for a share of $5,000 in weekly DK Dollar prizes. For each of the first 20,000 pool entries each week, DraftKings will donate $1 to The Larry Fitzgerald Foundation to fund breast cancer research and support for those impacted. According to the American Cancer Society, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and Breastcancer.org, in 2022 alone:
- About 224,080 new cancer cases and 73,680 cancer deaths are expected to occur among Black people
- Black people have the highest death rate and shortest survival of any racial/ethnic group in the United States for most cancers
- Black women are 41% more likely to die from breast cancer than White women, despite lower incidence of the disease
- Although Latin America is genetically diverse, Hispanic women and Latinas are more likely to be diagnosed at a younger age and with more aggressive disease such as triple-negative breast cancer, which has fewer targeted treatments
- They are also diagnosed at more advanced stages and are about 30 percent more likely to die from their breast cancer than their non-Hispanic white counterparts
- An estimated 287,850 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S., along with 51,400 new cases of non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer
- Nearly 30% of newly diagnosed cancers in women will be breast cancers
- Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women
“What we’ve accomplished already alongside DraftKings is inspiring, especially knowing our teams share the same ethos as we bring minds together to build vehicles that help the lives of others,” said Larry Fitzgerald. “October is a meaningful month personally and for my family, particularly after losing my mother to breast cancer in 2003. Launching the Pink ‘Em program over the past few years resonates with me and shows we’re on the right path to making a difference for those affected by breast cancer.”
Entries for the opening NFL Pink ‘Em pool of 2022, to be held on October 2, are now being accepted HERE, and there will be additional opportunities to get involved with Pink ‘Em during NFL Sundays on October 9th, 16th, 23rd and 30th.
As part of DraftKings’ corporate social responsibility efforts, the company will continue to explore additional ways to support communities in need. Customers can learn more about DraftKings’ charitable initiatives and its DraftKings S.E.R.V.E.S. program by visiting its website HERE.
