For the second straight year, the Steelers are doing their part to give back on a day that is designed to honor and celebrate women in the sports world.
National Girls & Women in Sports Day (NGWSD) is a day that originated in 1987 when it was declared by then President Ronald Reagan.
It was originally designated to honor late Olympic volleyball player Flo Hyman and has since evolved to recognize all girls and women in sports in any fashion.
It's an opportunity to celebrate women and girls who make an impact on the field, in the media, the community and the board room in all of sports.
And the Steelers are celebrating the day by those in the organization doing their part to help out young female athletes.
The Steelers partnered with Operation Warm to package and distribute over 1,000 sports bras for Pittsburgh Public Schools female athletes who participate in flag football, soccer, volleyball, basketball and beyond.
A total of 500 female student athletes will receive two bras each as part of the Fly:FWD program. Fly:FWD sports bras serve as a bridge, empowering girls to overcome obstacles and excel in sports with unwavering confidence and are committed to making a difference in the lives of young athletes, setting them on a path of empowerment and wellness.
"It means a lot to everyone in the organization to be able to do this," said Blayre Holmes-Davis, the Steelers senior director of community relations. "As an organization, especially the women who work here, are thrilled to be able to take a day to celebrate one another in the work that we do not only during the season, but throughout the entire year.
"But to be able to invest in the next generation of female athletes and let them see us as a representation of what they can do is special. We can show them you can be successful in this field. We can let them know there's a space for you in sports if you want there to be.
"It also is about helping the young female athletes to be able to have the equipment to play their sport and be successful. When they're talking about making sure that there's funding for athletes from the equipment, what doesn't get talked about is that sports bras. But it's a necessity for young female athletes to have.
"For us to be intentional about celebrating that day, but also making sure that we're doing an act of service to let the girls know we know this is a big issue because we're also here to help fulfill that need."
Members of the Steelers staff, along with representatives from the Pirates, Penguins, Passion, Riverhounds, Riveters, and Pittsburgh Women + Sports Collective, gathered at Acrisure Stadium for the distribution.
"We do so much together during the season with the others teams, and I think it's just always great to continue that partnership," said Holmes-Davis. "For the other staffs to be able to come out and help, it's really special. And then this year we incorporated a networking component. We don't get to spend a lot time together. We work at all different organizations, but we are all in the same business. We wanted the women to all get to know each other."
Students from Pittsburgh Public Schools were on hand to receive the sports bras, and also to help package them for their fellow students.
"The day is very important," said Mercedes Williams, the director of communications and stakeholder engagement for Pittsburgh Public Schools. "You're talking about an opportunity for women, in particular women who are not always connected when you think about sports. You automatically think of a male-dominated field. And the interesting part of this is that working with the Pittsburgh Steelers and other professional organizations, we've actually been able to elevate female participation in sports specifically with our flag football.
"So, when we talk about this day in particular, while it's recognized on a national level, here in Pittsburgh we see the amazing contributions that our student female athletes have made not only to the game, but the overall student athlete experience, sportsmanship and the collaboration that comes along with it.
"This is a wonderful experience. This is our second consecutive year doing this. And when you see all of the sports teams come together, it says that not only are we on the same page about uplifting and empowering our student female athletes, but we're here to support them. When you think about the sports bras and the packaging, because Pittsburgh Public Schools is also a recipient of that philanthropic effort, we also think about essentials all the time. We think about lotion, soap, stuff like that. But we never think about the young lady and her necessary undergarments. We are just so happy that we're able to provide them with an additional layer of support whenever they're playing in their sports. We are continuously in awe of all of the teams coming together and making that investments for our students."
Last year the Steelers were able to provide 500 sports bras to the female student-athletes. This year, increasing that number to 1,000 makes a world of difference.
"When we think about the undergarments and the essentials they need, sports bra specifically are expensive and sometimes out of reach when you're talking about having the proper wear on," said Williams. "Our families, which are economically disadvantaged for the most part, they typically wear their regular bras up under their clothes whenever they're playing sports. So even the smallest incidental like a sports bra can not only help them get the coverage and the support they need to be able to play the sport in holistic and community-driven support. There's always a lens that we try to think about when it comes to community support. You never think about it until somebody says it or when somebody needs socks or a coat or a sports bra. Some of the most basic essentials and how we're able to provide that and work with other teams to be able to provide them and honor them on that day.
"When the impact grows, I'm always so excited. The fact that we were able to grow, you should never be afraid to start somewhere. We are excited about our sports teams being here, but we're also excited about our female student athletes wanting to give back, but also being vulnerable enough to be the recipient as well. That means we're involved in twofold and we appreciate the opportunity."
While everyone who participated took great pride in being part of the female workforce in sports, or athletes themselves, there was even more pride in utilizing NGWSD to give back to others.
"I think women's sports is so important," said Holmes-Davis. "It's been great to see it surge over the past couple of years. It's also so important to talk about the women who are in front office staff and who are leading in a variety of different components. This day has been in existence for a long time, but it's good to see so many organizations highlight it and support others in sports as well."
