On Friday 25th April, Sale Sharks hosted the club’s second annual Foundation Day, once again highlighting the incredible community impact delivered through the Sale Sharks Foundation. Taking place at the Salford Community Stadium around the home fixture against Saracens, this year’s event built on the success of last year’s launch, delivering an even bigger and better experience for fans and supporters.
Throughout the evening, fans enjoyed a packed programme of activities, including inflatables, exclusive photo opportunities with players, and community-themed activations. This year, the raffle and auction returned with an expanded selection of prizes, raising vital funds for the Foundation’s work. The fan zone atmosphere was electric, and a new centralised layout meant all activations were brought together in one main area, enhancing the overall experience for supporters. Hospitality guests also enjoyed an improved Foundation presence, helping to showcase the breadth of the Foundation’s community outreach.
Over the past three years, the Sale Sharks Foundation has positively impacted the lives of more than 35,000 individuals across the North West. The Foundation’s mission encompasses promoting education and health, fostering inclusivity, and uniting the community through the power of rugby.
Abi Dean, CEO of the Sale Sharks Foundation, said: “Foundation Day is about shining a light on the life-changing work happening across our communities. It is a real celebration of the difference we can make when fans, players, partners, and staff come together. The enthusiasm and generosity shown this year has been overwhelming, and it’s an exciting platform for what we can achieve in the future.”
Gus Karagiannis, Fundraising Manager of the Sale Sharks Foundation, said: “This year we listened carefully to feedback from Foundation Day 2024. We centralised all activations into one vibrant area and created a much bigger presence in hospitality to connect with even more supporters. Overall, we are very happy with the outcome and the feedback we received was really positive.”
The fundraising total is still being counted, but early indications suggest that we will exceed £9,000, beating last year’s achievement. Every penny raised will directly benefit the Sale Sharks Foundation’s life-changing community programmes, helping to support education, inclusion, health, and rugby development across the North West.
We want to thank every person who bought a raffle ticket, placed a bid in the auction, made a donation, or simply showed their support. We are Sale Sharks…WE BITE TOGETHER AND GIVE BACK FOREVER!
