the Associated Press.Fundraising began in February with donations from Apple and Utah Jazz owners Ryan and Ashley Smith.“Encircle’s mission is very personal to me because I see myself in so many of these young people,” Cook told reporters at a press briefing Wednesday. “It’s not easy when you’re made to feel different or less than because of who you are or who you love.
It’s a feeling that so many LGBTQ people know far too well.” Utah’s Gov. Spencer Cox also noted Encircle’s impact in local communities. “What Encircle has done is provided that piece of acceptance, even if — especially if — there is no acceptance anywhere else,” Cox said. “There is a place where they can go where they can feel loved.”Wade, who became part of the Utah Jazz.