Seattle All Star Classic: Uniting Athletes, Celebrities, and Community Causes
Photos by Jordan Somers
Drew Dambreville, co-founder of the Seattle All Star Classic, recently joined host Trae Holiday on The Day with Trae. He appeared on the show to discuss the Seattle All Star Classic, an event that offers a platform for professional athletes and celebrities to give back to the community while supporting youth organizations.
For Dambreville, his goal was to create a platform to give back to the community and raise funds for various community initiatives.
Dambreville, originally from Orange, New Jersey, was born to Haitian immigrant parents.
“I grew up in a situation where, you know, you do work with nonprofits that deal with high schoolers in a snap because there's a lot of interesting dynamics in there. Right at home, you're this nationality; to the world, you are Black American,” Dambreville said. “So that's something you have to bridge and work your way through.”
Dambreville expressed his superpower in bringing people together.
"You can do it just for fun, you could do it just for revenue, or you can have some impact with meaning to it,” Dambreville said.
During COVID, Dambreville and Carter came up with the idea for Seattle All Star Classic.
“It's multiple things from the event side,” Dambreville said. “Creating a platform so that we have a lot of friends and associates that are professional athletes, one of the things they want to do when it comes to the Seattle area is put on for the city, right? The other side is the athletes and celebrities themselves. Seattle has a rich history of athletes, professionals that either went to high school here, played college here or retired as a pro here, right? We want to bring them back and let them be put on for the community.”
In their third year, they’re focusing on being mindful of major events happening in Seattle that force people to come to town.
"We've noticed that the majority of the Black and Brown population has been pushed out of Seattle, and they're moving down south," Dambreville said. "We're mindful of hosting an event where they are so that a family of four doesn't have to worry about driving to Seattle, dealing with Seattle prices and parking, just to attend an event here. We're doing something in your community, supporting your community."
Dambreville mentioned a program called "Filling the Gap," emphasizing its role in identifying nonprofits focused on youth sports, education, academic leadership, and addressing food and housing insecurities. The program provides these nonprofits with a platform during events, allowing them to fundraise, raise awareness, and have informational tables. Additionally, a portion of the event proceeds is donated to these organizations.
Saturday, July 6 at Cheney Stadium in Tacoma, Washington, the third annual Seattle All Star Classic will take place, featuring Jaxon Smith-Njigba of the Seattle Seahawks.
"We've made this so that youth organizations or organizations can use this event as a fundraiser,” Dambreville said. “Replace that corny carwash you guys do every year but reach out to us. We'd love to have you."
For more information, individuals can visit the website, seattleallstarclassic.com, where the lineup will be available. Those interested in sponsorship opportunities are encouraged to reach out. Additionally, nonprofits seeking fundraising events are welcome to utilize the Seattle All Star Classic for this purpose.
For more local events and summer festivals in Seattle, tune into Trae every weekday at 11 a.m. on all Converge Media platforms and The Day With Trae YouTube Channel.
