Every year, the NFL prepares apparel for both teams competing in the Super Bowl. The winners’ merchandise goes on sale immediately after the game, but what happens to the losing team’s gear after the big game?
This year, the merchandise declaring the New England Patriots as Super Bowl 60 champions will be donated to those in need across Eastern Europe, according to Bria Justus, the director of media and executive communications at charity foundation Good360.
It’s the 12th time the NFL is partnering with Good360 to distribute the Super Bowl-losing team’s apparel – “including t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, and other apparel” – to families in need, according to a press release from the organization.
“Our relationship with the NFL allows us to transform championship event merchandise that would otherwise go unused,” Good360 CEO Cinira Baldi said in a statement. “Instead of ending up in landfills, these items are distributed to families in need, creating positive impact while reducing waste.”
On Feb. 8, the Patriots lost Super Bowl 60 to the Seattle Seahawks, 29-13. Second-year quarterback Drake Maye struggled while facing heavier pressure than he had in any other game in his career. The Seahawks took advantage of his three turnovers, scoring 17 points off of them in a game they won by 16.
Good360 is turning the tough Patriots loss into a net positive by keeping New England’s unsellable Super Bowl merchandise out of a waste landfill and sending it to those in need instead.
“Each year, the Super Bowl brings together communities to celebrate the biggest moment in sports, and through Good360, it also creates an opportunity to support those in need far beyond the game,” said the NFL’s SVP of social responsibility in a statement.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Where does the Super Bowl-losing team’s merchandise go?