SEG Foundation delivers direct impact to Westside neighborhoods as All In On Utah campaign reaches thousands
One of the first initiatives for the newly-formed SEG Foundation involved donating classroom items to students at Rose Park Elementary. The Utah Jazz Bear helped with the donation. Photo courtesy of the SEG Foundation.
Throughout the Utah Jazz and Utah Hockey Club seasons, Smith Entertainment Group (SEG) has stayed true to one mission: showing up for the community – especially those on Salt Lake City’s Westside. And as the offseason begins, the SEG Foundation is looking ahead, listening closely to the needs of those in the community, and finding new ways to deepen its impact where it matters most.
Another project from the Foundation involved paying for gas and groceries for more than 200 families during the holiday season. Photo courtesy of the SEG Foundation.
Since launching in October 2024, the SEG Foundation has quickly become a transformative force across Utah. As the philanthropic arm of Smith Entertainment Group, the Foundation unites the collective power of the Utah Jazz, Utah Hockey Club, and Delta Center to champion equity, access, and opportunity for Utah’s communities. In just seven months, the Foundation has reached nearly 60,000 individuals and contributed more than $100,000 to community-based causes – creating meaningful, month-by-month moments of support with a strong emphasis on Salt Lake City’s Westside neighborhoods.
The season began with a focus on education, with Jazz player Lauri Markkanen and SEG co-founder Ashley Smith making a surprise visit to Rose Park Elementary, delivering classroom wish list items to teachers and connecting with students. That moment was part of a broader initiative that fulfilled requests from over 100 educators statewide, helping ensure classrooms were stocked with essential supplies, books, and tools to support learning.
The momentum then continued through monthly initiatives including: inviting more than 100 Westside families to Utah Hockey Club’s practice facility for a Thanksgiving celebration and delivering meal kits; surprising families and individuals in Rose Park and Glendale by covering the cost of gas and groceries for more than 200 people; helping thousands of individuals begin the process of clearing their records during the 2025 Utah Expungement Summit; delivering essential, high-need items to students and families in the Salt Lake School District by mobilizing fans to assemble meal and hygiene kits, supported by additional monetary donations, and more.
The SEG Foundation is looking for additional ways to make a difference. They want Westside resident help for their next charitable projects. Photo courtesy of the SEG Foundation.
But this is just the beginning.
With the offseason underway, the SEG Foundation is focused on what comes next – and that means listening. The next phase of its work will be shaped by the people it’s designed to serve. That includes hearing directly from Westside residents, community leaders, and local businesses about the challenges they face and the ideas they believe could make a difference.
Whether it’s a need that’s gone unmet for too long or a creative solution that deserves a platform, the SEG Foundation wants to hear it. If you live or work on the Westside and have a story, idea, or suggestion to share, email segfoundation@teamseg.com to help shape what’s next.