OUR SPONSORS

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The Red Lobster Band of the Year offers a wide variety of sponsorship opportunities that can meet you company’s needs. For more information, please reach out to Executive Director John Grant at [email protected].

RED LOBSTER

At Red Lobster, we serve more than your seafood favorites—we serve that can’t-stop-smiling, pass-the-biscuits experience that we call Reel Happiness. We’re often at the heart of life’s celebrations, big and small. That’s why we’re proud to stand with HBCUs across the country at The Celebration Bowl and The Band of the Year competitions—where honor, culture, and Reel Happiness shine bright.

CRICKET

We believe we smile bigger when we smile together. That’s why we’re proud to support and celebrate HBCUs on the field, in the classroom, and beyond. At Cricket, we make your wireless experience easy. We have the phones you want, a range of plans to fit your budget and lifestyle, and the services you need, like flexible plan and payment options. All on our nationwide network.

CARESOURCE

CareSource is a nonprofit, nationally recognized managed care organization with over 2.3 million members. CareSource administers one of the largest Medicaid managed care plans in the U.S. The organization offers health insurance, including Medicaid, Health Insurance Marketplace and Medicare products. As a mission-driven organization, CareSource is transforming health care with innovative programs that address the social determinants of health, health equity, prevention and access to care. CareSource stands united with HBCUs in delivering innovation and workforce, economic and social development for all leading to a brighter, healthier future. This includes HBCU scholarship support, unprecedented health initiatives for HBCU athletes, employee volunteerism and a robust and proactive HBCU recruitment program. HBCU alumni have integral leadership roles through the organization and on its executive management team.

HOME DEPOT

The Home Depot Retool Your School Program proudly supports the ESPN Band of the Year. For over 16 years, they’ve helped create opportunities, celebrate legacies, and strengthen campus communities through impactful grants. Together, we’re building brighter futures—one project and one campus at a time.

TRUTH INITIATIVE

About Truth Initiative® and the EX Program®
Truth Initiative® is the nation’s largest nonprofit public health organization committed to creating a future where tobacco and nicotine addiction no longer claim lives. For more than two decades, Truth Initiative has led nationally recognized prevention campaigns, advanced groundbreaking research, and driven policy change to protect young people and communities disproportionately targeted by the tobacco industry.
The EX Program®, developed in collaboration with the Mayo Clinic, is Truth Initiative’s digital tobacco cessation program trusted by employers, health plans, and communities nationwide. The EX Program provides evidence-based tools, live coaching, and culturally grounded resources that help people build the skills and confidence they need to successfully quit smoking, vaping, or using nicotine.