Arturo Hilario
El Observador
Earlier this year, the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Cabos Tourism Board hosted “Day with the 49ers,” a youth community event in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico.
Taking place at the Bicentenario Stadium in Cabo, “Day with the 49ers” hosted more than 100 local youth for a day that included fun and education.
Participants at the event learned about concepts of STEM education alongside American Football from pro players, focusing on the game of American football by competing in drills, and about science, technology, engineering, art, and math concepts by completing an education lesson led by 49ers EDU.
The professional players who participated in the activities included Patrick Willis, 49ers legend and NFL Hall-of-Famer, and Diana Flores, World Flag Football Champion and Los Cabos Brand Ambassador.
Events like the “Day with the 49ers” are part of a multi-year global marketing rights partnership between the 49ers and the Los Cabos Tourism Board, which last year announced the partnership and named the region the “Preferred Travel Destination” of the NFL franchise.
Both organizations aim to grow the game of American football while prioritizing community development. The May event was a first-of-its-kind event in Los Cabos.
Sofy Navarro, Senior Manager of 49ers EDU program, recently spoke about her experience working on initiatives like the “Day with the 49ers” and how her being Mexican-American emphasized the experience of seeing the connection between the 49ers organization and the communities in Mexico.
As Senior Manager of 49ers EDU, she manages STEAM (Science Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) initiatives with the 49ers Foundation. As part of this, she manages community relationships, corporate giving partnerships, and oversees creation and implementation of program curriculum. Throughout her tenure, she has helped bring free STEAM programming to over 500,000 Bay Area youth.
What was her experience like out in Mexico with the kids for “Day with the 49ers”?
“It was an unforgettable experience to be able to share the game of American Football and how it relates to STEAM and career pathways. The Los Cabos community was welcoming and energized by the opportunity to participate. The young athletes were inspired by 49ers Legend Patrick Willis and World Champion Flag Football player Diana Flores and could not contain their excitement.”
How does she see the importance of connecting with our neighbor country with her being Mexican-American herself
It was a dream to be able to work with the Los Cabos community in my home country of Mexico. This event is a beautiful blend of my nationality and cultural roots that many of our fans can relate to. As a Mexican-American woman, being able to represent the 49ers in Mexico is an empowering message to all. It sets an example for young women and student athletes in Mexico and in the Bay Area that we are a part of the ever-growing landscape of American Football. Our goal, to create deeper connections with the Latino community in the Bay Area and abroad, is led by Latinos, for Latinos. This is why it is important to partner with organizations like the Los Cabos Tourism Board that share the same values of community and family.
This event reinforced how the power of sport can make a deep impact in the lives of others, not only through fandom, but through sportsmanship and tangible life skills. The 49ers and the Los Cabos Tourism Board recognize that opportunity and look forward to finding more ways to do this.
For more information, visit 49ers.com/news.
