North Charlotte Today

The Charlotte Hornets, in collaboration with Bank of America, launched the inaugural Hornets Holiday Cheer for Teachers on December 6, 2024. This event is part of the team's 2024-25 Season of Giving initiative aimed at recognizing and supporting educators.

Seventeen teachers from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) participated in a shopping event at Classroom Central, a nonprofit that provides resources to teachers and students across six school districts. The educators were then surprised with another shopping opportunity at Walmart, accompanied by the entire Hornets roster, allowing them to purchase personal gifts and necessities for their families.

Additionally, four more teacher shopping sprees took place at Classroom Central. These events enabled 600 teachers to acquire 75 free books each, distributing over 45,000 books to CMS.

Hornets Sports & Entertainment President of Business Operations Shelly Cayette-Weston stated, “We are thrilled to partner with Bank of America and Classroom Central to bring the very first Hornets Holiday Cheer for Teachers to life.” She emphasized the importance of celebrating and supporting teachers who face significant challenges while shaping future generations.

Teachers attending the two-part event also received four complimentary tickets to a Hornets home game against the Houston Rockets on December 23.

Bank of America Charlotte President Kieth Cockrell expressed support for the initiative: “At Bank of America, we believe education is the foundation for success and we are proud to partner with the Charlotte Hornets to support our teachers this holiday season and throughout the year.”

The partnership between Hornets Sports & Entertainment and Bank of America extends beyond this event. They have collaborated on various projects promoting education and economic mobility, such as Hornets Week of Service and the Hornets Innovation Summit presented by Bank of America.