MetLife, New York Jets and New York Giants Team up for Online Auctions to Support Students in Tri-State Area

Fans to bid on one-of-a-kind experiences and authentic merchandise to benefit Year Up New York | New Jersey and the New York City Police Foundation’s Far Rockaway Giants and Harlem Giants

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
MetLife, along with the New York Giants and New York Jets, has kicked off online auctions to support programs that help students better prepare for their futures. As part of MetLife’s “Inside the Huddle” initiative, the auctions will help raise funds to benefit Year Up New York | New Jersey and the New York City Police (NYPD) Foundation’s Far Rockaway Giants and Harlem Giants.

New York Giants players Julian Love and Graham Gano and New York Jets players Laken Tomlinson and Quinnen Williams are serving as “Inside the Huddle” program ambassadors, providing both experiences and authentic merchandise to bid on as well as lending promotional support to the program.

Open through GivingTuesday, November 29, 2022, two online auctions – one for the Jets and another for the Giants – will offer one-of-a-kind experiences and authentic merchandise, including photos, footballs, jerseys and helmets signed by current and former players. Unique experiences available for auction include:

• The "Laken Tomlinson Experience” – a tour of the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center in Florham Park, N.J., and a Jamaican-style dinner with Tomlinson for four people.
• The "Quinnen Williams Experience” – playing Madden with Williams at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center in Florham Park, N.J., for four people.
• The “Graham Gano Experience” – a kicking lesson with Gano at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center for four people.
• The “Julian Love Experience” – a game night with Love at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center for four people.

Additionally, VIP game tickets, training camp passes, tours of training facilities with team legends, and a game-day tour of the team’s radio broadcast booth are available for bidding. Love, Gano and Tomlinson will dedicate their NFL “My Cause, My Cleats” customized cleats to their respective partner organizations and will auction them.

“The MetLife and Jets initiative supporting Year Up New York | New Jersey helps students prepare for their futures," said New York Jets offensive guard Laken Tomlinson. "I hope that my experience – a tour of the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center and a fantastic Jamaican dinner with me – will help raise funds to continue to support deserving students and provide them more career opportunities.”

“The ‘Inside the Huddle’ initiative with MetLife and the New York Jets will allow Year Up New York | New Jersey to reach more young adults and, in partnership with Year Up Professional Resources, has connected one of our students with an internship at MetLife Stadium, where they will get real-life experience to help them launch their professional career,” said Nadine Sylvester, site director of Year Up New York | New Jersey.

In support of the initiative, MetLife will contribute $30,000 to each team’s charitable organization for a total of $60,000. These funds will be in addition to the funds raised directly from the auctions. All of the experiences and authentic merchandise for the auctions are being donated by MetLife, in partnership with the New York Jets, the New York Giants, as well as the player ambassadors.

“Bidding on auction items is an easy way for fans to make a difference in the lives of the Far Rockaway and Harlem Giants and their families,” said New York Giants place kicker Graham Gano. “My experience – a kicking lesson at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center – will be a lot of fun and most importantly will raise funds, matched by MetLife, that will give kids the extra support they need both in school and on the field.”

“The New York City Police Foundation is grateful to our sponsors, MetLife and the New York Giants, as well as everyone who participates in the online auction to support the Far Rockaway and Harlem Giants Program and the youth who are served by it,” said Susan Birnbaum, president and CEO of the New York City Police Foundation, which funds the program. “The Far Rockaway and Harlem Giants Program is an outstanding initiative that continues to transform lives and strengthen our city by connecting youth with police officers.”

MetLife’s “Inside the Huddle” initiative is one way the company is investing in young people in its communities and fostering more equitable access to opportunities. This partnership with the New York Giants and New York Jets – that is raising awareness and funds for the New York City Police Foundation’s Far Rockaway Giants and Harlem Giants, and Year Up New York | New Jersey – enables the company to live its purpose and build more confident futures for all.

The “Inside the Huddle” auctions will be open through GivingTuesday, November 29, 2022. To bid on Giants items, visit www.giants.com/metlife. To bid on Jets items, visit www.nyjets.com/metlife. All proceeds from the auctions will go directly to Year Up and New York City Police Foundation’s Far Rockaway Giants and Harlem Giants.

About MetLife

MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), through its subsidiaries and affiliates ("MetLife"), is one of the world's leading financial services companies, providing insurance, annuities, employee benefits and asset management to help its individual and institutional customers build a more confident future. Founded in 1868, MetLife has operations in more than 40 markets globally and holds leading positions in the United States, Japan, Latin America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, visit www.metlife.com.

About the Far Rockaway and Harlem Giants (New York City Police Foundation)

Queens and Harlem NY | New York City Police Foundation - Far Rockaway and Harlem Giants Program. The NYPD-led Far Rockaway and Harlem Giants provides at-risk youth with tutoring through their partnership with the NYC Department of Education, mentorship from the police officers and the opportunity to play flag football while being coached by the police officers.

The New York City Police Foundation is a 501c(3) nonprofit organization that provides resources for the NYPD to innovate and strengthen the quality of its services; build bridges with the community; and make New York City a safer place to live, work and visit. For 50 years, the Foundation has funded numerous initiatives to help safeguard the city and strengthen all of its communities. The Police Foundation provides resources for four core areas of support which: advance programs and strategies to prevent violent crime, thwart terrorism, and safeguard all the people of our city; strengthen communities by helping to build stronger relationships between the NYPD and community members, including youth across the five boroughs; enhance leadership, wellness and training within the NYPD; and pilot and support new technologies, programs and services to protect the public and the police.

About Year Up Inc.

Year Up is a national 501(c)3 workforce development organization committed to ensuring equitable access to economic opportunity, education, and justice for all young adults—no matter their background, income, or zip code. Year Up utilizes a high expectations, high support model where students learn in-demand technical and professional skills and apply them during a corporate internship. Year Up has served more than 36,000 young adults across 19 geographies since its founding in 2000 and has been voted one of the “Best Non-Profits to Work For” by The NonProfit Times. To learn more, visit http://www.yearup.org, and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.

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Meredith Hyland
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Source: MetLife