49ers' community relations department earns international award

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The 49ers’ community relations efforts in 2014 earned the organization Sports Team of the Year in a ceremony Tuesday in London, the club announced.

The 49ers were recognized by Beyond Sport, a global organization that centers around the use of sport to create social change across the world. The other finalists for the honor were the Chicago Fire Soccer Club (USA), Saracens Rugby Club (UK) and SV Werder Bremen (Germany).

“The San Francisco 49ers demonstrate how sport can contribute to solving many of society’s issues,” said Nick Keller, founder of Beyond Sport. “The direct impact they have on the lives of thousands of children annually through their weekly hands-on community service programs that keep kids ‘Safe, On Track, and In School,’ is truly inspiring.”

The 49ers’ community relations department hosted 45 events, 160 youth football clinics and camps, and supported more than 100 partner events, according to the team.

“Every day our team takes the field, they are focused on winning the game. Similarly, every day of the year, the San Francisco 49ers organization strives to be the best community partner we can be,” 49ers co-chair John York said in a statement.

“Community involvement has always been top priority for the 49ers, so to receive an international recognition such as this from a prestigious group like Beyond Sport is an honor that means a great deal to us all. Just like the name of this award suggests, there is more to sport than simply what takes place on the playing field.”

The 49ers’ community relations efforts included its commitment to keeping kids “Safe, On Track, and In School,” in July 2014. The 49ers, along with Chevron, Silicon Valley Education Foundation (SVeF), and the Santa Clara Unified School District, launched the 49ers STEM Leadership Institute, with 60 high-achieving seventh graders at the newly-designed Chevron STEMZONE at Cabrillo Middle School in Santa Clara.

For more than 15 years, the 49ers Foundation has also been a primary supporter of the San Francisco 49ers Academy, a school in East Palo Alto that seeks to bridge the opportunity gap for underserved middle school students through in-school and after school programs.

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