Bay FC will celebrate Beattie and club’s partnership with Pink Ribbon Good during Fan Appreciation Night match on October 19
San Francisco (September 3, 2024) – Bay FC, the new women’s professional soccer franchise representing the Bay Area in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), announced today Jen Beattie as its nominee for the 2024 Lauren Holiday Impact Award recognizing an NWSL player for outstanding service and character off the pitch. All 14 nominees were announced by the league today.
As a finalist, Beattie transfers her community involvement efforts with breast cancer awareness from the United Kingdom to the Bay Area. Beattie, who was diagnosed with breast cancer at the early age of 29, fought and won her battle with the disease during the COVID pandemic in 2020 and has dedicated her platform to breast cancer and early detection awareness.
“As someone who was diagnosed at a young age with no family history and during the middle of a pandemic, I want to bring awareness to how important both a strong support system and preventative checks are – regardless of gender,” said Bay FC Defender Jen Beattie. “Bay FC has been amazing in working with me to identify the correct community partner and supporting community events such as a patient walk-and-talk and presence at the 4t Annual Ignite the Fight Gala which I keynoted. Being recognized for the Lauren Holiday Impact Award is an honor and I’m so excited to continue this work in my new home – the Bay Area.”
When arriving to the Bay Area, Beattie quickly partnered with Pink Ribbon Good, a non-profit that provides support for those going through breast and gynecological cancer treatment. Beattie hosted members of Pink Ribbon Good to Bay FC matches, a local walk & talk with members in July in Los Gatos sharing how she stayed active and motivated to keep moving her body following her diagnosis and during treatment, and keynoted their annual fundraising gala earlier this August.
Sutter Health, Bay FC’s Front-of-Kit Partner and Official Healthcare Provider, teamed up with Beattie to spotlight women’s health. As healthcare leaders, Sutter Health was perfectly poised to help Jen share her story with teammates and fans. This included an afternoon of breast cancer awareness and prevention with the team and a tour of Sutter Alta Bates Summit Medical Center’s Mobile Mammography Vehicle (MMV) to start the conversation for Bay FC players to talk about women’s health and screening measures. Beattie shared her experience of early diagnosis with teammates, took them for a tour of the MMV, and encouraged routine checks and continued curiosity and education around the topic. The MMV was onsite at a match in May in support of Women’s Health Awareness Month and will return in October for Breast Cancer Awareness month. Lastly, as part of an ongoing youth reporter series presented by Sutter Health, Beattie spent time earlier this summer with aspiring local reporters to discuss an array of topics including girls’ health, early detection, and body positivity.
Prior to her time in the Bay Area, Beattie was an ambassador for Scottish Power, a renewable energy company which has raised over £40m for Cancer Research UK, wore pink boots during select matches to raise awareness for breast cancer, and was an academy ambassador for her previous club, Arsenal FC. Beattie most recently received a Most Excellent Order of the British Empire – the third highest ranking Order of the British Empire level – in 2023 for her services to charity and football.
For photos and b-roll of Jen’s community work with Bay FC, please CLICK HERE.
“When thinking about which of our players to nominate for this award, Jen was an obvious choice,” said Bay FC CEO Brady Stewart. “Her commitment to excellence on and off the pitch is awe-inspiring and her fight with breast cancer serves as fuel for her to continue her incredible work within the Bay Area. We know this is only the beginning for her efforts in the Bay Area and we are proud to have her representing Bay FC.”
Beattie will be honored during halftime of Bay FC’s Fan Appreciation Night match on October 19, 2024, at PayPal Park, where Pink Ribbon Good will receive a $5,000 donation from the league and Nationwide.
Club supporters will have the chance to vote for a player nominee as part of a fan vote in October. The nominee with the most fan votes at the end of the month will receive additional funds to donate to their community partner and an organization of their choice. Additional voting details will be shared closer to October.
At the end of the season, one nominee chosen by a panel consisting of Lauren Holiday and representatives from Nationwide, the NWSL, NWSL Players Association and NWSL Media Association, will be named the winner of the 2024 Lauren Holiday Impact Award, presented by Nationwide and receive $30,000 to designate to a charitable organization of their choice. The winner of the award will be announced the week of the 2024 NWSL Championship, presented by Google Pixel. Additionally, all 15 player nominees will be honored as part of Championship Week celebrations.
Newly reformatted to shine a greater light on players who are making a difference in their communities, the Lauren Holiday Impact Award honors the ongoing example of excellence and commitment set by the two-time Olympic gold medalist, FIFA Women’s World Cup champion, National Soccer Hall of Fame inductee, and recipient of the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian ESPY Award.
For more information on Jen Beattie, Pink Ribbon Good, and the Lauren Holiday Impact Award, click here.
Bay FC is hosting its inaugural home season at PayPal Park in San Jose and tickets are now available for purchase at bayfc.com. Fans can also follow @wearebayfc on social channels for more exciting announcements to come.
About Bay Football Club
Bay Football Club (Bay FC) is the new women’s professional soccer franchise representing the Bay Area and the 14th team to join the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). Bay FC was established in April 2023 and co-founded by USWNT legends Brandi Chastain, Leslie Osborne, Danielle Slaton, and Aly Wagner in partnership with global investment firm Sixth Street and an investor group of leading tech, business and sports executives. Sixth Street’s investment is the largest institutional investment to date in a women’s professional sports franchise. Bay FC is changing the face of women’s soccer as we know it. Beginning play in the 2024 season, we are building a squad that will play the beautiful game with power, passion, energy, and creativity. Tickets are now on sale for Bay FC at https://bayfc.com and fans can follow Bay FC’s social channels (@wearebayfc) for the latest news, merchandise, and events.
