Smith Entertainment Group shared plans Tuesday for the SEG Foundation, a new nonprofit organization designed to give back to the community. It begins with the “All In on Utah” campaign, which chooses an organization or cause to support every month.
The program involves players, front office staff, executives, partners and fans from both the Utah Hockey Club and the Utah Jazz. For the month of October, Utah HC captain Clayton Keller and associate captain Lawson Crouse joined Jazz stars Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George to lead out the initiative. They surprised local elementary schools with visits and video chats and SEG provided the teachers with school supplies from their wish lists.
“Here in Utah, showing up for each other is just part of who we are,” said Ashley Smith, co-founder of SEG. “It makes sense and feels right to give back to the amazing people and organizations that make this state so special. That’s why we are launching the SEG Foundation. We’re excited to go all in on Utah as we team up with community groups, schools, nonprofits, and more to invest in causes that matter all across Utah.”
The SEG Foundation builds on the groundwork laid by the Utah Jazz Foundation, which gave a full-ride scholarship, including tuition, books, fees and room and board, to one person for every Jazz win during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons. They ended up sending 114 people to schools across Utah.