WASHINGTON – Today, Ocean Conservancy and its partner GOAL announced the addition of Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, to the “Protect Where We Play Tour,” a partnership to reduce the plastic footprint of GOAL Member venues by deploying a reusable cup program during concerts and sporting events. Coinciding with Plastic Free July, Gainbridge Fieldhouse will implement the reusable cup program as part of AT&T WNBA All-Star Weekend, marking the first time a WNBA All-Star Game has featured fully-reusable cups in lieu of single-use plastic ones.

Ocean Conservancy’s Protect Where We Play Initiative aims to rally sports and entertainment fans to protect the future of our planet by leveraging the reach of athletes, artists, and events to mobilize millions of fans in support of ocean conservation. It is estimated that the tour will prevent at least 1,000,000 single-use cups from entering the waste stream. Bold Reuse, a leading reuse service provider, is supporting the tour by managing all reusable cup operations at participating venues.

Plastic beverage cups are one of the most common beach pollutants, according to data from Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup (ICC). Since 1986, the annual event has mobilized more than 18 million volunteers to remove more than 380 million pounds of trash from beaches and waterways worldwide. Ocean Conservancy has also led advocacy efforts to prevent plastic pollution through policies at the state, federal and international levels.

Napheesa Collier, who captains Team Collier against Caitlin Clark’s Team Clark in this year’s WNBA All-Star Game, is one of a number of top athletes to back Protect Where We Play as a Team Ocean Captain.

“Being an All-Star captain is an incredible honor for me – and I’m especially proud that I can use this moment to help protect our sport and our planet for the next generation by playing at the WNBA All-Star’s first fully reusable game,” said Collier.

“We’re so excited about this activation because it’s the perfect combination of mission alignment and funding for operational changes. We’re grateful to Ocean Conservancy for funding tangible solutions that help facilities implement sustainable change while also elevating their mission. These are the types of win-win partnerships that drive the positive change that the sports and entertainment industry really needs,” said Kristen Fulmer, Executive Director of GOAL. 

“The ocean is our planet’s MVP. Even in Indianapolis, every second breath we take is powered by the ocean. We’re so grateful to GOAL and Gainbridge Fieldhouse for leading the way this Plastic Free July,” said Jenna DiPaolo, Ocean Conservancy’s Chief Brand and Communications Officer and Protect Where We Play lead.

The Protect Where We Play Tour kicked off at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium, which hosted Coldplay on June 6-7. Other tour stops this summer will include Savannah’s Enmarket Arena for The Lumineers, two nights of Billie Eilish at UBS Arena in Belmont Park, New York, and more.

The program’s “Team Ocean Captains” include WNBA’s Napheesa Collier, NFL’s Kelvin Beachum, MLB’s Brent Suter, Paralympian Ezra Frech, World Champion Surfer John John Florence, and American ballerina Katherine Barkman.

Learn more about Protect Where We Play HERE.

You can find the Protect Where We Play media kit HERE.

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ABOUT OCEAN CONSERVANCY 

Ocean Conservancy has been working to protect the ocean from today’s greatest global challenges. Together, we create evidence-based solutions for a healthy ocean and the wildlife and communities that depend on it. For more information, visit oceanconservancy.org, or follow us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) or Instagram.  

ABOUT PROTECT WHERE WE PLAY

Protect Where We Play is Ocean Conservancy’s bold, new initiative that aims to inspire a new wave of fan engagement and action by leveraging the sports and entertainment industries as a first entry point to activate a broader and more diverse array of “Team Ocean” advocates. You can watch the sizzle reel here, read Forbes’ coverage of the launch here, and Pollstar’s Earth Day coverage on the origin story of this initiative here. For more information, visit protectwhereweplay.com.

ABOUT GOAL (Green Operations & Advanced Leadership)

GOAL is a pioneering sustainability-driven membership and support network of over 55 global members from sports, entertainment, and live event venues, including stadiums, arenas, theaters, and convention centers. The GOAL Medals Awards program is the first industry-wide benchmarking and recognition tool to validate incremental sustainability efforts across 10 ESG topics. GOAL utilizes Salesforce Net Zero Cloud for carbon accounting and customized industry comparisons, which informs action-planning, goal-setting, and corporate partnership support, including connections to vetted vendors. By fostering collaboration, sharing best practices, and offering tailored support, GOAL empowers organizations to enhance their sustainability efforts, no matter where they are in their journey. The Founding Partners of GOAL are Oak View Group, the Atlanta Hawks & State Farm Arena, Fenway Sports Group, and green building trailblazer Jason F. McLennan, founder of McLennan Design.