LA28 and the Rams made the first of several Olympic ticket donations Monday, giving 1,000 tickets to 10 local organizations to give children a seat at flag football and swimming competitions at the 2028 Games.
The tickets are the first gifts from LA28’s community ticket program, which launched in November with a $5-million inaugural donation from the Rams. Participants from the nonprofits were on hand at the Rams training camp to receive the news.
The organizations — A Place Called Home, After School All-Stars, Al Wooten Jr. Heritage Center, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro L.A., Brotherhood Crusade, Heart of Los Angeles, Project Blue, Social Justice Learning Institute, Swim Up Hill and YMCA of Metro L.A. — were selected by the Rams and LA28 for their investment in local youth and their presence in communities near Olympic venues.
“The local organizations receiving these tickets today are groups that we work closely with year-round to uplift and support our neighbors all across the Los Angeles region,” Rams president Kevin Demoff said in a statement. “This investment ensures that the people and nonprofits that commit themselves to Los Angeles are able to experience this once-in-a-lifetime event right in their hometown.”
Each organization will distribute tickets directly to its members. The tickets are for two of the most in-demand sports on the 2028 program. Flag football is making its Olympic debut and was among the new sports that sold through its ticketing availability during the first ticket drop. Swimming, one of the marquee sports of the Summer Games, will take place in SoFi Stadium, which will be transformed into the largest Olympic swimming venue in history.
After selling a record 4 million tickets in the first drop this year, Olympic tickets go back on sale this week. Fans who registered for the ticket lottery with a Visa credit card received information about purchasing time slots on Monday for the Visa presale that runs from July 29-31. Email notifications for time slots in the second drop that begins Aug. 10 and lasts until Aug. 20 will hit inboxes between Aug. 6-7.
When Olympic tickets went on sale in April, fans were shocked and frustrated at high prices, a 24% service fee and limited availability for key events. LA28 has tried to keep tickets affordable, but hearing that nearly half of the tickets are under $200, including the service fee, and 75% are under $400 is still a steep price for many fans. Half of the 1 million tickets priced at $28 were scooped up during the locals presale in April, but more will be made available in the next drop.
Individuals, organizations and community leaders interested in participating in LA28’s community ticket program can access more information at la28.org. The Rams’ initial $5-million donation is expected to fund several more ticket donations to local organizations in the coming months.
The post LA28 and Rams to give free Olympic tickets to local nonprofits appeared first on Los Angeles Times.
