Staff from the Riverhounds and Riveters joined representatives from Pittsburgh’s other professional teams, the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates, on Wednesday, Feb. 5 for a special event celebrating National Girls & Women in Sports Day hosted by the Steelers at Acrisure Stadium on the North Shore.
Pittsburgh’s teams partnered with Operation Warm and their FLY:FWD program to provide essentials to Pittsburgh Public Schools’ Girls Flag Football teams, and volunteers from the pro teams at the event took the time to prepare and box the care packages for delivery.
Operation Warm discovered that the absence of sports bras is hindering young girls from actively participating in football, thus, the FLY:FWD program was created, which is aimed at addressing disparities and equipping young girls from diverse backgrounds with the gear they need to participate in sports.
In response to this issue and in celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day, volunteers met at Acrisure Stadium on Feb. 5, to package 500 sports bras that were distributed to young female athletes 250 from Allderdice, Brashear, Carrick, Obama and Westinghouse girls flag football programs.
Players chosen by their program from each school were on-site to receive the gifts, and remarks were made by representatives from each professional sports program to celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day and inspire these young athletes by recognizing that sports is a space for women and girls.
Below are some of the images from Wednesday’s event, a celebration of girls and women in sports. (Photos by Alysa Rubin/Pittsburgh Steelers and Mallory Neil/Pittsburgh Riverhounds.)
