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A few days ago, the Cleveland Cavaliers, Rock Entertainment Group, and their related subsidiaries formally unveiled their 2021 Community Impact Report. The report itself properly showcases what folks may not notice off the court for the Cavaliers. It encapsulates the financial contributions the organization has made to the community. It also showcases the civil initiatives as well as the organization's work to improve the quality of life for everyone that calls Cleveland home.
"This report embodies the spirit of 'For the Love. For the Land,' a call to action to embrace unity to come together in a common bond of love for each and our city," said Nic Barlage, CEO of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Rock Entertainment Group and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. "Through our mission, and alongside all our incredible civic and community partners, we are very proud of all we've accomplished together and look forward to continuing our work to help build a better, bright future in the place we call home."
In 2021 alone, the Cavaliers generated over $45 million in state and local tax revenue, which, in turn, goes directly back into the greater-Cleveland community. Some key events that were hosted at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, the home of the Cavaliers, had a huge impact on the community as well. In October 2021, the arena hosted the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, which created a total economic impact of $50.7 million as well as an additional $29.7 million that was directly spent on the local economy. Local employees also earned $18.7 million in total revenue during the event Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony as well.
The Cavaliers have raised and donated millions of dollars to benefit the greater-Cleveland community in the last year alone. Photo credit: Nick Cammett/Getty Images |
Additionally, the Cavaliers, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and the Wolstein Center hosted NBA All-Star 2022, which had a total economic impact of $248.9 million. Additionally, $45 million in total was spent by visitors to Cleveland during All-Star 2022, which only further bolstered the community. Local residents also saw a $91.6 million increase in household income as well because of the event, with 2,240 jobs in total seeing some form of support from the mid-February celebration.
There are future events down the line hosted by the Cavaliers and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse that will have a huge financial impact. The 2024 NCAA Women's Basketball Final Four will have a project impact of $22 million on the community. The first and second rounds of the 2025 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball tournament, meanwhile, are projected to have an impact of $8 million and the 2026 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship is projected at $15 million. Finally, the Mid-American Conference Men and Women's basketball tournament, a Cleveland staple, is projected to have an impact of $15 million per year as well.
The Cavaliers organization also donated $230,000 in grants to local foundations during the 2021-22 season. The organizations the Cavaliers invested in directly support the development and well-being of youth in Northeastern Ohio. Some of the benefitting organizations from the 2021-22 season include Voices for Children, Aluminum Cans for Burned Children, the Children's Hunger Alliance as well as so many countless others. This is all part of the organization's 2020 pledge to donate $1 million a year over the next 10 years to local organizations, focusing on being inclusive and supporting those who need it most.
Inclusion is also a staple of the Cavaliers organization as well, with the team having 33% of their total full-time staff belong to a minority group. That number increases to 43% when looking at both full-time and part-time employees under the Cavaliers, with more than 2,500 jobs in total being provided by the organization.
The goal to drive inclusivity in the community by the Cavaliers also translated onto the court too. The Cavaliers, along with the Cleveland Monsters and Cleveland Charge, all hosted various community nights and engagements as part of those efforts. That included Pride-themed nights, Hispanic Heritage Night, Jewish Heritage Night, Black History Celebration and so much more.
Speaking of the community, the Cavaliers were heavily involved in that as well. The organization has refurbished 12 courts throughout the greater-Cleveland area and also opened several mindfulness learning spaces. They've also helped promote health and wellness for children as well as educating them on reading and mathematics. The Cavaliers also have donated nearly $1 million for STEM research in schools and have also committed to providing scholarships to students to allow them to pursue their passions academically. In total, the organization estimates they've reached nearly 130,000 children through their efforts.
Clearly, there has been plenty accomplished by Cavaliers, Rock Entertainment Group, and their related subsidiaries in the last year. Barlage and the organization have always viewed themselves as a community asset and having the numbers to quantify the work truly puts it into perspective. At the end of the day, yes, the Cavaliers, the Monsters, the Charge and the arenas they play in are pure entertainment on a night-to-night basis. But, they are part of the greater-Cleveland community as well and have done so much in the last year to make it a better place for everyone.
Featured image credit: Swapan Jha, Getty Images
Evan Dammarell is a sports journalist covering all things Cleveland right off the shores of Lake Erie. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. You can also email him at evan@downeuclid.com. He can also be found three to five times a week on Locked On Cavs, a part of the Locked On Podcast Network.
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