February saw the ‘All My Relations (AMR)’ women’s Indigenous basketball team launched its first charity campaign with creative agency The Local Collective to showcase the team’s deep roots and raise funds through sales of a bespoke, limited edition basketball.
The work, which was developed in a partnership with advertising agency The Local Collective (TLC) showcases the rich, yet often overlooked history of basketball in Indigenous communities across Canada. In fact, basketball has been an integral part of many Indigenous communities for generations and acts as a focal point to gather and connect as well as compete.
The AMR community, which consists of 30 Indigenous women from various nations and backgrounds, has nurtured the spirit of the sport and what it represents through the AMR hoops team which – for the past 19 years – has been a community hub and a health and wellness vehicle for the women of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside and off reserve players.
To support the team, TLC created the ‘AMR Game Ball’ which was inspired by their stories and their love of the game which was promoted through an integrated campaign driving viewers to an online purchasing platform at https://www.amrball.ca/buy.
The ‘AMR Game Ball’ is positioned as a symbol of the team and a celebration and appreciation of Indigenous culture in Canada.
Proceeds from ball sales will go directly to supporting the team as it trains and aims for the ‘All Native Tournament’ in April 2022 in Prince Rupert, British Columbia (on the traditional territory of the Ts’msyen). Plus, funding will also support the AMR Physical Literacy Program, developing programming and clinics, and continuing their advocacy work for representation in sport.
AMR from The Local Collective on Vimeo.
“All My Relations has been the backbone of the downtown east side community and women who are coming off reserve. Through basketball, we have learned to practice how we want to play, and in our lives we are the change we want to see in our communities,” explained AMR Basketball Founder Joleen Mitton. “This ball and its design represents that, it’s our journey and our story. We love this game, and this is our Game Ball!”
The campaign highlights the importance of representation in sports and that the development of this kind of team requires more than just passion and dedication, but also access to funding.
According to the campaign PR, the impact of Covid-19 on fundraising has taken a toll on revenue generation, but ‘the drive, determination, and dedication to community is what has kept the team pushing forward to find new ways to rally support’.
“Community is so vital right now. We love what All My Relations stands for and how they build and lift up their communities. We believe the more spaces that are created, nurtured and funded for sport, especially for underrepresented communities, the more we all have to gain from it. Being approached to create a custom ball to represent this incredible story was really special to us. We’re excited for the world to have their own little piece of what All My Relations is all about.” says Kaitlin Doherty, founder & managing director, The Local Collective.
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