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The Super Bowl, NFL and community service go hand-in-hand
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Kids in Sports team.
Today, this nation's faithful are in grocery stores buying brats, chips and beer, preparing for tomorrow's Super Bowl party, calling friends to remind them what to bring and when to show up and dreading straightening the house for guests. Tomorrow will be a day of high calorie food and drink, touchdowns and fumbles, good friends enjoying great American football and hopefully a few good commercials. If the fans are lucky, sports history might be made. There's just one more thing to add to the list to make this great day in sports even greater. Every fan can give back a little of what sports has offered them through the years - a sense of community, mentors, team bonding and confidence - by donating to or volunteering at a local non-profit youth sporting clubs like Los Angeles based, Kids in Sports.
As an awkwardly tall junior high student, basketball was my obvious choice. Instead of feeling insecure about my height, basketball made me feel empowered by it. The members of my community that supported our teams, the coaches that encouraged me to keep at it (even when I wasn't that great) and the shame of letting them down when I got in trouble, made all the difference as I grew up. Many of you were lucky enough to have simular experiences, but not all kids have that opportunity.
That's where Kids in Sports comes in. Kids in Sports reaches out to under-served communities and partners with local facilities, community members and parents and helps that community create their own sports clubs. They form a community led advisory board, train the members, provide them with the needed assets like referees, uniforms, etc. and the community then empowers itself, sustaining the new club for years to come with the support of Kids in Sports.
Tony Giarla is the Development Director for Kids in Sports. He's worked for the non-profit for seven years and the experience has been life-changing for him. Originally from Boston where things are sometimes segregated, Giarla, through Kids in Sports, has learned a great deal about Los Angeles and its incredible diversity. Giarla said, "You find great people from all backgrounds and in every community that want to give their kids every opportunity and are willing to work hard to accomplish that. One of the best things about Kids in Sports is that students who have participated in the past keep coming back to volunteer, giving back to the program and the community, making the clubs very self-sustaining. It's the most rewarding volunteer group I've ever been involved in."
Kids in Sports has a staff of six and a volunteer core of 700-1000 community members. They have fifteen clubs in Los Angeles County and also partner with parks and schools to create satellite programs which increases their league to serve about twenty five various neighborhoods throughout LA County. Almost all of their funding comes from individual donors, foundations and special events. They will be hosting their first Women in Sports luncheon in April where seats and tables can be bought to support the program. In November, they will host their 14th annual John C. Argue Memorial Golf Classic where donors purchase foursomes to support the cause.
The NFL and its players have been longterm and active supporters of youth programming. So this year while getting ready for kickoff, embrace the community service aspect of one of the country's favorite pastimes and add supporting a local organizations like Kids in Sports to your Super Bowl to do list.
Get involved with KIS now: For just $50 you can support one neighborhood partipant for an entire season. Click here for a list of donation options. You can also donate your time and coach a team by calling 213-765-1900 for more information. Finally, DONATE for FREE by registering your shopping cards and debit cards at Escrip.com and designate Kids in Sports, group number 1095488. It takes moments to register and when you purchase items at specific stores, a percentage goes straight to Kids in Sports.
http://www.examiner.com/category-Super_Bowl.html.
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