Jan
17
Aussie Openers Host “Rally for Relief” Fundraiser Match
January 17, 2011 | Leave a Comment
The devastating floods in Queensland, Australia, has affected 22 towns and cities across the state, killing more than a dozen people and sending tens of thousands fleeing from their homes.
This past Sunday, Queenslanders Patrick Rafter and Samantha Stosur were joined by fellow tennis players in the Rally for Relief at Melbourne Park to help flood victims in their stricken home state.
Rafter and Stosur were joined by Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Lleyton Hewitt, Caroline Wozniacki, Kim Clijsters, Vera Zvonareva, Justine Henin and Viktoria Azarenka in a special exhibition match on the Rod Laver Arena. Laver, whose home town of Rockhampton was one of the places hit hardest by the floods, recorded a special message to the players and the tennis fans who had paid to come and watch the one-off team event.
The Rally for Relief was organized with ticket sales and donations going to those affected by the floods.
How you can get in the game:
A special website has been set up for online donations — Rally for Relief
Dec
20
Calendar for a Cause
December 20, 2010 | Leave a Comment
African American, Floridian artisan Ed King has a great holiday idea for you: When you purchase his 2011 Pop Art calendar, 20% of the proceeds will go directly to the kids and families being treated at Holtz Children’s Hospital under the umbrella non-profit, People In Crisis United.
People In Crisis United was founded by Florida residents who want to improve the quality of life for children who are in the hospital for prolonged periods of time.
How you can get in the game:
Check out www.edkingpopart.com to learn more about this program to support People In Crisis United.
Dec
6
Don’t Give Up. . .Don’t Ever Give Up!
December 6, 2010 | Leave a Comment
The V Foundation for Cancer Research was founded in 1993 by ESPN to honor former NC State basketball coach and award-winning broadcaster Jim Valvano. The foundation has grown from humble beginnings of Jim’s personal friends and family to the support structure that includes people of all walks of life, in its efforts to fund research to find cures for cancer.
Since 1993, The V Foundation has raised more than $100 million and awarded cancer research grants in 38 states and the District of Columbia. Researchers have developed their laboratories and taken their science from the labs to the clinics with the help of funds raised by The V Foundation.
ESPN’s Jimmy V Week for Cancer Research kicks off this week. The week-long initiative, features content aimed at raising awareness and driving donations. The 2009 total was $950,000. Events include the Jimmy V Men’s Basketball Classic played on Tues. Dec. 7 at Madison Square Garden. Memphis will play Kansas in the opener, and Michigan State takes on Syracuse to close out the 16th annual tournament.
How you can get in the game:
You can make donations directly to The V Foundation by clicking here
Nov
29
November is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month
November 29, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Before we forget, November is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month. So this week’s contribution goes to the New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi and his Catch 25 Foundation.
How you can get in the game:
Catch 25 Foundation
220 W. Huron St., Ste. 2001
Chicago, IL, 60654
Nov
25
Project Find and Thanksgiving Joy
November 25, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Today was a very special Thanksgiving, with tons of us helping to bring joy to seniors in need. Oneal’s provided the food, Saint Paul the Apostle the dining space, and Project Find the volunteers.
The band played, everyone smiled and dished out dinner, and we served a much needed meal to more than 300 guests!
How you can get in the game:
Check out Project Find here
Jul
28
Thousands of Athletes Set to Participate in the 2010 National Kidney Foundation’s U.S. Transplant Games
July 28, 2010 | Leave a Comment
The National Kidney Foundation 2010 U.S. Transplant Games will be held July 30 to August 4 in Madison, Wisconsin.
Started in 1982 with a group of determined transplant athlete pioneers gathered in Texas for the first regional Transplant Games, it has evolved into an Olympic–style, multi-day event for athletes who have received life–saving organ transplants of every type.
Transplant athletes will compete for gold, silver and bronze medals in 12 different sports, including track and field, swimming, tennis, basketball, cycling and golf.
Said John Davis, CEO of the National Kidney Foundation, “More than 100,000 Americans are currently on the waiting list for life-saving organ transplants and 18 people die each day while waiting. The Transplant Games visually showcase the success of transplantation, demonstrating the life–saving power of organ donation. We hope our spirited competition will slam home the message that every American should consider becoming an organ donor.”
Attendance at the 2010 U.S. Transplant Games is expected to reach 7,000 people, including transplant athletes, their families and friends and families of organ donors. Athlete participants range in age from two to 85.
In addition to the rehabilitative benefits of this athletic competition, the U.S. Transplant Games provided a unique opportunity for transplant recipients to gather and share experiences, kindle friendships and celebrate their “ultimate second chance” at life while paying tribute to those who make it all possible—the donor families.
How you can get in the game:
To find out more about the Transplant Games and the athletes, and to learn about organ donation and transplantation check out the National Kidney Foundation’s website
Jul
21
Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon Set for Sep. 19, 2010 – “Cross that Bridge”
July 21, 2010 | Leave a Comment
The Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon press conference and rally took place today in Market Square in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, marking two months before the start of the inaugural Sept. 19 race. Race fan, dignitaries and sponsors were on hand to show their support.
Steve Nearman, founder and event manager, and an Alexandria businessman, said running a race across the Woodrow Wilson Bridge had been a dream of his since 2007.
“I liked the idea of someone in this race running over the bridge and thinking, ‘Wow! Somebody came up with this idea and that is really cool’”, said Nearman, a running journalist and long time runner who now competes in the 50-54 age group track events.
The 13.1 mile-trek will start in historic Mount Vernon in Virginia, travel along the George Washington Memorial Parkway, then, for the first time ever, runners will cross the Potomac River on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. The race ends at the National harbor in Maryland.
“This is an outstanding example of community and commerce coming together,” said Alexandria mayor Bill Euille, who attended the kickoff. “And, it’s going to be a great and fun event.”
Nearman announced there were nearly 3 thousand runners already signed up for the event.
The race will also benefit the following charities – the Alice Ferguson Foundation, the American Heart Association, Autism Speaks, the Child & Family Network Centers, back on My Feet-DC and the Washington Area Women’s Foundation.
For more information head to the race website: www.wilsonbridgehalf.com
Jul
16
Redskins Linebacker Chris Draft hosts “Project Blind Side” Book Giveaway Event
July 16, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Washington Redskins linebacker Chris Draft, founder of Project Blind Side, and the Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus (THEARC) hosted a screening of the Oscar-nominated film “The Blind Side,” in an effort to tackle literacy. Free books were given to the community youth that attended the Southeast DC theater event.
The community screening was part of the A Book in Every Kid’s Hands initiative, and every kid who attended got a copy of “The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game.” As part of the initiative each child was asked to finish the book and write an essay about what they learned by August 15. Ten essays will then be selected as finalists, and the winner will win a day with Chris Draft.
Draft is working to tie Project Blind Side into the Department of Education’s broader “Let’s Read, Let’s Move” initiative.
“I am excited to partner with Secretary [Arne] Duncan as we work together to make literacy and education a priority in every home across this nation,” said Draft, who founded The Chris Draft Family Foundation in 2006 and is the author of “Do You Want To Play Catch.” “We know firsthand the difference reading and access to educational materials can have in a child’s life. We are proud to put a book in every kid’s hands to encourage literacy and learning 365 days a year.”
Project Blind Side will be powered by Legacy Connect’s online fundraising website www.legacyconnect.com, which will raise dollars and awareness virally for the program to ensure the project is successful in getting “A Book in Every Kid’s Hands” starting in the Washington, DC area. Based on a person-to-person fundraising model, supporters can watch inspiring videos about the program, make a donation, and invite friends to join the movement.
A panel discussion followed the screening with panelists Chris Draft, Joe Briggs of the NFL Players’ Association and Chevonne Mansfield, Assistant Director of Sports Information at Howard University. The discussion focused on the prominent theme of literacy in the film and the importance of reading.
How you can get in the game:
Click here to visit the Legacy Connect website and find out how to make a donation
Check out The Chris Draft Family Foundation website here
May
18
MaliVai Washington walked into the lobby of the Ritz Carlton and began eyeing the silent auction items displayed on the tables. Not odd – the spread was part of a foundation fundraiser taking place that evening, and Washington was in DC to accept an honor. What was strange is that no one immediately recognized him. Quite a difference from Washington’s days on the tennis court, where the one-time Wimbledon finalist made his presence known with his booming serve and steady ground game.
Washington probably did not take it personal. After all, on this night he was being recognized by the Washington Tennis & Education Foundation for his post-playing philanthropy work. This night was about the more than 10 years he’d been working to serve youth, not aces. This night was about celebrating the accomplishments of the MaliVai Washington Kids Foundation and the Youth Center that opened its doors in 2008.
It is with the foundation that Washington has fiercely devoted as much time and energy as he once did on his game. And in a world where distractions are plentiful, Washington hopes the lessons he’s learned from tennis – discipline, sportsmanship, self-confidence – can be taught to the youth he works with.
“The biggest challenge we face occurs everyday, because these kids are being pulled into negative directions on a daily basis,” he says. “We are pulling them into something positive. And we have to figure out productive ways to keep them on track.”
Started back in 1997 in Jacksonville, Florida, MWKF’s programs provide development activities for youth in elementary through high school. There are after-school programs, summer camps, and of course tennis. The foundation operates in one of the most underserved areas of the city – a majority of the children live at or below the poverty level, and there are high rates of teen pregnancy and juvenile crime. To date, the organization has touched the lives of more than 15,000 Jacksonville area-youth. And a true measure of its success is the brand new, $3 million state-of-the-art youth center.
The WTEF, a tennis, education and life skills foundation itself, presented Washington, and Mary Carillo, with the Champion of Tennis Award at its annual fundraiser.
Former tennis champ MaliVai Washington with several DC-area honor roll students at the Washington Tennis & Education Foundation's Tennis Ball (Anne B. Keiser)
“I’m excited the WTEF is embarking on a project to expand,” said Washington, referring to the new center. “I know our impact as a result of expanding, and to be part of that is exciting for me.”
And as he did after capturing the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year award in 2009, Washington shifted the focus from himself onto the foundation, acknowledging that it was a “tremendous” honor he appreciated and accepted on behalf of his hard-working staff, as it showed their efforts were being noticed.
He and his staff will continue to work tirelessly to accomplish the foundation’s goals.
“It’s more work than I could ever have imagined,” says Washington, who is involved in every aspect of the foundation. “But it’s also more gratifying than I could have ever imagined.”
Living a purposeful life might be the nicest way to recognized.
How you can get in the game:
At the MaliVai Washington Kids Foundation website, you can make a donation or volunteer your services
You can also show your support for the Washington Tennis & Education Foundation at their website
May
12
With Soccer as the Showcase, Doc Film “Changing the Game” Entertains and Educates
May 12, 2010 | Leave a Comment
A new sports documentary called “Changing the Game” follows the lives of six teens from poor and violent communities on three different continents as they come together this June in South Africa at the first-ever Football for Hope Festival.
Chevonne Mansfield, Howard University, DC United's Thabiso 'Boyzzz' Khumalo and Me at the 'Change the Game' fundraiser. (Burnice A. Cain)
The film incorporates intimate interviews and first-person videos from the teens to capture their story of hope — from their relationship with their communities to what this trip to the tournament will mean for them.
Though they face different challenges in their lives – poverty, conflict, HIV/AIDS – they are united by the international language of soccer, and transformed into youth leaders to change the game not only in their home communities but also the world.
The Football for Hope Festival is an official event of FIFA’s 2010 World Cup created to showcase the social dimension of soccer. The film is in early production and currently fundraising to finish the project.
How you can get in the game:
Meet Boyzzz from DC United at a Happy Hour Fundraiser taking place on Thur. May 13, in Washington, DC. You can make in-person donations there.
If you are not in town, head to the film’s website to contribute online, Soccer-Film.com
