Leveling the Playing Field’s partnership with the iconic worldwide retailer headquartered in Buffalo, NY, gives the non-profit an additional avenue to collect equipment in Western New York
Washington, D.C. (April 9th, 2026) – Leveling the Playing Field (LPF) has furthered efforts to collect new and gently used sports equipment in Western New York by working together with New Era Cap Foundation. LPF and the New Era Cap Foundation have partnered to bring a metal donation bin to collect sports equipment in Erie County at the Paddock Chevrolet Ice Arena, located at 251 Brompton Rd, in Tonawanda, NY.
The two organizations will host a Ribbon Cutting/Fill the Bin event at The Paddock Chevrolet Ice Arena on Friday, April 10th, from 10:30 AM to 12 PM. LPF WNY Program Director, Cam Daugherty, and members of the New Era Cap Foundation including the Director of the New Era Cap Foundation, Bridget Scott, will be on site to meet with members of the Erie County community while accepting sports equipment donations at the bin.
“LPF WNY is incredibly excited to partner with New Era Cap Foundation to spread our mission across Western New York,” said LPF WNY Program Director Cam Daugherty. “In just a short time working with the New Era Cap Foundation, I can already feel the passion for family and community they have. This is our first co-branded bin here in Western New York, and we are excited and hopeful that this creates new opportunities for our organization.”
“The New Era Cap Foundation’s commitment to ensuring every child has access to the world of sports aligns seamlessly with Leveling the Playing Field’s mission, making this partnership both meaningful and an easy choice for our Foundation, said Bridget Scott, Director of the New Era Cap Foundation. “We are proud to stand alongside Leveling the Playing Field as they continue their work of providing sporting equipment to under-resourced community groups and schools, and we look forward to seeing our local community embrace this bin as a valuable tool in supporting those efforts.”
Since opening in Buffalo in July 2023, LPF has now placed 8 metal bins across Western NY, resulting in $1.4 million of sports equipment collected. LPF accepts equipment from all sports including baseball, football, lacrosse, hockey, and more. Common sources for equipment are community sports equipment collection drives at schools and youth programs, professional sports teams, such as the Buffalo Bandits and Buffalo Sabres, and metal donation bins at parks and sports complexes.
For more information on Leveling the Playing Field, such as volunteering, financial donations, and picking up free sports equipment visit LPFsports.org. For more information on Leveling the Playing Field’s Western New York location contact wny@levelingtheplayingfield.org.
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About Leveling the Playing Field: Leveling the Playing Field is a non-profit organization which collects and re-distributes sports equipment to kids in under-resourced communities. The organization currently operates in seven cities: Greater Washington D.C., Baltimore, MD, Philadelphia, PA, Buffalo, NY, Columbus, OH, Detroit, MI, and Atlanta, GA. Leveling the Playing Field has donated over $20 million in sports equipment to schools, youth teams and leagues, and other non-profit organizations since 2013.
About The New Era Cap Foundation: The New Era Cap Foundation (NECF) represents the philanthropic arm of New Era Cap, LLC which was founded by Ehrhardt Koch in 1920 and is currently led by 4th Generation CEO, Chris Koch. Formally established in 2016, the Foundation serves as the vehicle through which Chris and Danielle Koch and the New Era Family give back to the communities in which the company operates.
