KANSAS CITY (November 21, 2024) - The National Women’s Soccer League today named Bay FC defender Jen Beattie the recipient of the 2024 Lauren Holiday Impact Award, presented by Nationwide. The community-focused initiative recognizies an NWSL player nominee for outstanding service and character off the pitch.

To celebrate the award, Beattie has designated that her Bay Area community partner, Pink Ribbon Good, will receive $30,000 to support its mission and ongoing initiatives.

“Nationwide is thrilled to congratulate Jen Beattie for winning the 2024 Lauren Holiday Impact Award,” said Ramon Jones, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Nationwide. “As a company that is deeply committed to giving back to the communities where we live and work, we’re honored to recognize and celebrate Jen’s outstanding advocacy of women whose lives have been impacted by breast cancer."

As part of the season-long program, a player from each team was nominated for the Lauren Holiday Impact Award. Additionally, teams coordinated a service project with their nominee and a local community organization, which received a $5,000 donation from the league and Nationwide.

Beattie also won the fan vote that took place throughout the month of October, enabling her to donate $5,000 to Cancer Research UK and designate an additional $5,000 for Pink Ribbon Good.

Pink Ribbon Good assists every person and family affected by breast and gynecological cancer by providing free healthy meals, rides to treatment, housecleaning essentials and peer support. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the organization serves cancer fighters in six regions across the U.S. and provides peer support and education to those battling around the country.

To learn more about Pink Ribbon Good or to donate to their cause, please visit https://www.pinkribbongood.org/.

A breast cancer survivor, Beattie was diagnosed at age 29 while playing soccer in the UK, far from family and friends. Following a six-week leave from the game for surgery, she entered remission. During this time, Beattie recognized a gap in awareness and education around breast cancer, which motivated her to use her platform as a professional athlete to promote early detection in both women and men.

Beattie continues to be an advocate, working with organizations to raise awareness, share her story, and support individuals facing similar challenges. Her dedication to this cause has helped bring visibility to the importance of health education, regular screenings, and support networks for those impacted by breast cancer.

“My work with breast cancer charities means so much to me and it has since 2020 when I started doing it after my own cancer diagnosis,” said Beattie. "To have a legend like Lauren Holiday at the forefront: understanding the impact she has had in the community beyond football is why it matters the most to me. I love football – it's my job and my passion – but I think it’s important to use the platform we have whether it’s big or small, to raise as much awareness as possible and ultimately create a community to help people.”

Beattie is the fourth recipient of the program award and the first to receive the honor under its new name, which honors the ongoing example of excellence and commitment set by Lauren Holiday, two-time Olympic gold medalist, FIFA Women’s World Cup champion, two-time NWSL Champion, National Soccer Hall of Fame inductee, and recipient of the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian ESPY Award.