It seems like this scenario happens every time a major player leaves his original franchise. Just like with Kevin Durant or LeBron James in the past, Utah Jazz fans are burning jerseys of their former star Gordon Hayward after he joined Boston on a four-year, $128 million deal.
After a video of a Hayward jersey being burned at a pit made the rounds in social media, there is now a better alternative for upset Jazz fans who want to part ways with their outdated NBA memorabilia.
The Medical Review Institute of America has given Jazz fans a chance to donate their Gordon Hayward items to charity, per Ashley Stilson of KSL.com. The institute paired up with a non-profit organization called World Joy. The latter uses donations to build houses, schools, clinics, and provide training to residents in rural Ghana.
Joel Dunn, the institute's HR manager said that he is not a sports fan, but loved the concept when the creator of the project, Zach Harding, presented the idea.
“I'm not a sports buff. I haven't been following the current events,” Dunn said. “With people saying they'll throw their jerseys away or burn them or what have you, I thought, ‘hey, this is a great idea. Let's get some things going and see how many we can collect.'”
The response to the charity was enormous as Jazz fans stormed the institute with donations of all kinds. One of the most popular jerseys donated along with Hayward's, was that of forward Trey Lyles, who was traded to Denver on the night of the 2017 NBA Draft.
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