EBU Local Heroes™

Local heroes are the firefighters, police personnel, doctors, and teachers who are on the front line of services for our community. They are the ones we rely on to intervene in an emergency, and they are there no matter what else may happen. Too often, these heroes are overlooked or taken for granted as they extend their hands to youth and families in need. East Bay United intends to celebrate these local heroes by creating trading cards that match our local heroes with local sports celebrities.

Mission of Local Heroes Program
The mission of Local Heroes is to honor those who are in service to the public, and to bolster rapport between them and the communities they serve. Trading cards are a tangible way to create a connection between Local Heroes and local youth. In handing out EBU Local Hero Trading Cards, we can raise the profile of individual heroes and the services from which they come.

How It Works
Each trading card will feature a local hero on one side and a local sports celebrity on the other. Each hero and celebrity will be interviewed in order to obtain a quote that personifies their individual goals and their connection to the community. Local police officers, firefighters and other local heroes, as well as their departments, will be provided with cards that feature them. They can hand these cards out to young community members who request them or to anyone with whom they have a positive interaction. We intend to create a rewards program that may include free tickets to local sports events for young people who collect a certain amount of Local Hero Trading Cards.

Benefits
Local Hero Trading Cards create a reason to interact with the police and fire departments or schools. They give local youth an easy way to get to know their local beat police officer or fireman. They create stronger ties between the community and those who serve the community.

EBU and Local Heroes
East Bay United is committed to helping unite the community through the medium of sport and fitness. Our officers and members are all active in sports and fitness. So are most police and fire departments. In both of these professions, physical fitness is a critical element of their training. Trading cards are a natural way to burnish their function as role models of fitness, health and community safety.

A core element of East Bay United is a commitment to “playing for a reason.” We support four major causes: education, and prevention of obesity, diabetes and violence. Our leagues, trainings and clinics all include an element of raising money and/or services to support these causes. EBU Local Hero Trading Cards will also be employed to raise money to support our causes and those of our Local Heroes.

Become a Local Heroes Supporter
We have already enlisted the support of numerous local heroes including Brandon Ruffin, an El Cerrito Police Officer who played football and ran track in high school. The Contra Costa Times newspaper has also signed on to assist in publicizing the program through PSAs and advertising. Contact us for more information on EBU Local Heroes or check out the brochure.