MK DONS BECOMES FIRST FOOTBALL CLUB TO LAUNCH BLOCKCHAIN-VERIFIED COMMUNITY IMPACT PROGRAM WITH ZENKO PROTOCOL

Every Home Shirt Sale Automatically Feeds One Child in Milton Keynes Through Revolutionary ‘Hunger Gets Relegated’ Campaign

MILTON KEYNES, UK – MK Dons has partnered with Zenko Protocol to launch the first blockchain-verified community impact program in professional football, ensuring every home shirt purchase automatically provides one meal to a child experiencing food poverty in Milton Keynes.

The groundbreaking ‘Hunger Gets Relegated’ initiative transforms traditional merchandise sales into measurable community support, with fans receiving exclusive NFT certificates proving their direct contribution to local children’s welfare. Each shirt purchase triggers an automatic meal donation, tracked and verified on the blockchain through Zenko’s impact verification system.

Neil Hart, MK Dons CEO, emphasized the program’s direct impact: “You buy one of those shirts and you will feed a child in poverty. It’s that simple. Our fans don’t just support their team – they support their community. Every shirt sold makes a real difference to a local family.”

Revolutionizing Fan Engagement Through Verified Impact

The partnership integrates Zenko’s $ZENKO token ecosystem, where fans earn digital rewards while creating real-world good. Beyond the automatic meal donation, shirt purchasers claim an exclusive club NFT, creating a triple value proposition: supporting the team, helping the community, and earning verifiable impact rewards.

Jason Sibley, CEO of Zenko Protocol, highlighted the scalable model: “MK Dons is proving that sports commerce can be a force for good. When fans buy merchandise, they’re not just showing loyalty – they’re creating measurable community impact with blockchain-verified proof.”

The program addresses a critical local need, with Milton Keynes facing significant child food poverty challenges. Through the partnership, the club aims to provide 10,000 meals by the end of the 2025 season, with progress tracked publicly through on-chain verification.

Setting the Standard for 50+ Club Network

MK Dons serves as the flagship partner for Zenko’s ambitious expansion plan to onboard 50+ football clubs across multiple leagues by 2026. The standardized model allows clubs to customize their community impact focus – from local food programs to environmental initiatives – while maintaining the same blockchain verification and fan reward structure.

Projected Network Impact at 50 Clubs:

50 million + meals provided annually across club communities
£2.5 million+ in direct community investment through merchandise sales
1 million+ fans earning impact rewards and building permanent records of their contributions
50,000+ trees planted through environmental partnership options
Comprehensive impact dashboard showing collective good created across the entire network

The scalable approach enables smaller clubs to access enterprise-grade impact technology typically available only to major corporations, democratizing community engagement tools across professional football.

Blockchain Technology Meets Community Action

Unlike traditional charity partnerships that rely on trust and periodic reporting, the MK Dons-Zenko program provides real-time, verifiable impact tracking. Every transaction creates an immutable record on the blockchain, ensuring complete transparency in how supporter contributions translate to community benefits.

Key Technology Features:

Automatic Impact Execution: Smart contracts trigger meal donations immediately upon shirt purchase
NFT Proof Certificates: Fans receive permanent, tradeable proof of their community contributions
Real-Time Tracking: Public dashboard shows live progress toward community impact goals
Cross-Platform Integration: Rewards integrate with Zenko’s Move-to-Earn, Learn-to-Earn, and Play-to-Earn ecosystem

Transforming Sports Commerce Industry-Wide

The success of the MK Dons pilot positions Zenko to revolutionize how sports organizations engage supporters while addressing community challenges. Early interest from Premier League clubs and international teams suggests rapid adoption of the blockchain-verified impact model.

About the Partnership

MK Dons joins a growing network of forward-thinking organizations using Zenko Protocol to create measurable community impact. Current Zenko partners include Fortune 500 companies like Google, HP, Mastercard, and Lenovo, all leveraging blockchain-verified engagement to improve both business metrics and social outcomes.

The football club expansion represents Zenko’s strategy to bring Web3 technology to mainstream audiences through familiar, valuable experiences. Fans participate in the blockchain ecosystem without needing technical knowledge, creating a seamless bridge between traditional sports support and digital innovation.

About MK Dons Milton Keynes Dons Football Club, founded in 2004, competes in EFL League Two and has consistently demonstrated commitment to community engagement and social responsibility throughout Milton Keynes and surrounding areas.

About Zenko Protocol Zenko Protocol operates the first decentralized engagement economy where users earn $ZENKO tokens for real-world actions – learning, moving, shopping, and playing – while creating verifiable social and environmental impact. With 80,000+ users and partnerships with Fortune 500 companies, Zenko transforms everyday actions into measurable good through blockchain verification.