Play For Good Gala - Athletes for Hope

Join us for our annual Play for Good Gala on December 7!

Play For Good Gala

Join us for Play for Good 2024!

Athletes for Hope is excited to invite you to our third annual Play for Good Gala 2024! Join us for an evening to celebrate, recognize, and appreciate the power of the athletic spirit in making the world a better place. 

Entertainment, food, drinks, and an opportunity to bid on an incredible assortment of live and silent auction items will be provided.

Even if you can’t make it in person, you will still be able to join in on the excitement from afar! As of November 13, raffle tickets are now on sale! You can browse items via the link below.

2024 Play for Good Honorees

Jackie Joyner Kersee headshot

Jackie Joyner-Kersee

Mia Hamm Founders Award

The Mia Hamm Founders Award honors an elite athlete who embodies Mia’s commitment to utilizing a global platform to help others in need in the U.S. and beyond.

Headshot of Michelle Freeman

Michelle Freeman

Gordon & Llura Gund Lifetime Hero Award

The Gordon & Llura Gund Lifetime Hero Award honors an accomplished professional with ties to sports who has dedicated their career and personal philanthropic work to making a positive impact in the lives of others.

Elena Delle Donne

Community Hero Award

The Community Hero Award recognizes an elite athlete who has demonstrated a commitment to giving back to underserved populations and/or causes in the greater Washington, D.C. region.

Deloitte

Corporate Community Impact Award

The Corporate Community Impact Award recognizes a corporation that is making a profound impact in the areas of mental health, wellness, and/or youth development that help to uplift the athletic community and the broader community at large.

Women In Sports – Fireside Chat

During the reception, Kathleen Purtill, Vice Chairman at Deloitte Consulting LLP, will moderate a fireside chat featuring our honorees Michelle Freeman, Elena Delle Donne, and Jackie Joyner-Kersee as well as special guest, Mia Hamm. All attendees will be able to witness an incredible discussion on the rise of women’s sports and how these athletes are transforming their communities.

Mia Hamm

The AFH Founding Athlete will present the Mia Hamm Founders award to fellow AFH Founding Athlete, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, and will participate in the Fireside Chat.

Kathleen Purtill

Representing the 2024 Corporate Community Impact Honoree, Kathleen Purtill, Vice Chairman at Deloitte Consulting LLP, will moderate the Fireside Chat. Kathleen has been instrumental in Deloitte’s community impact efforts, and her leadership continues to inspire change in the intersection of business, sports, and philanthropy.

Meet our Play for Good Emcee!

Benita Fitzgerald Mosley

Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, Olympic gold medalist and sports industry leader, will be our Play for Good Gala emcee. As a passionate advocate for empowering athletes and communities, Benita brings a wealth of experience and energy to our event.

Stay tuned for more exclusive updates, including exciting auction items and more! 

Play for Good 2023

Over $500,000 raised!

Thank you to our sponsors, donors, and AFH Athletes for another incredible Play for Good event. We are so grateful for your unwavering support as we all channel the power of the athletic spirit to create positive change in communities around the world. From strengthening our physical and mental health programs to connecting our AFH University student-athletes to service, our programs are creating tangible good for generations to come.

Celebrating the Legacies of Game-Changers

This year we were able to honor three remarkable individuals who transcend their professional and sport accomplishments by dedicating their time and resources to making a positive impact in the lives of others.

Soccer icon and sports philanthropist Mia Hamm was the recipient of our inaugural 2023 Mia Hamm Founders Award.

Sports icon and AFH Founding Board Member George Cohen was the recipient of our inaugural 2023 AFH Lifetime Hero Award.

NFL legend, entrepreneur, and multi-faceted entertainer Vernon Davis was recognized as the 2023 AFH Community Hero. Watch what previous AFH Community Hero Award recipients Stephen Curry and Katie Ledecky had to say about Vernon here.

2023 Play for Good Gala Photo Gallery

Relive our 2023 Play for Good Gala through the complete photo gallery here.

Play for Good 2022

September 25, 2022 | Over $220,000 Raised!

We are so appreciative of our sponsors and donors for their support of our organization and the athletes we work with every single day. From helping underserved children stay active and learn core leadership skills to destigmatizing mental health in and out of sports, our programs make a tangible impact on the lives of millions – thank you.

Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky was recognized as the 2022 AFH Community Hero! Watch her acceptance speech and hear what Stephen Curry had to say when introducing her.

We were proud to highlight our Whole Being Athlete Program during Play for Good, with a focus on our partnership with WETA and PBS. Watch the video featuring Track and Field Olympian and AFH Mental Health Ambassador Kendall Ellis that aired at NAMICon earlier this year.

About Athletes for Hope

Founded by Muhammad Ali, Andre Agassi, Mia Hamm and nine other elite athletes in 2006, Athletes for Hope (AFH) is a cause-neutral non-profit that educates, encourages, and empowers athletes to find their passions and use their time to positively engage with their communities. Over the past 16 years, AFH has educated more than 10,000 professional, Olympic, Paralympic and collegiate athletes through its Causeway workshop series, and helped athletes volunteer with hundreds of underserved schools and impactful community organizations through core programs that focus upon helping underserved children become more physically active, changing the public stigma around mental health, and brightening the lives of children in hospitals. Through their dedication and passion for doing good, AFH athletes have positively impacted the lives of millions around the world.