The Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation and Good Sports Donate Equipment to Benefit 7,700 Youth

The Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation and Good Sports Donate Equipment to Benefit 7,700 Youth

May 27,2016, is Deadline for Applications for the Next Round of Equipment Donations

ATLANTA, February 24, 2016 – The Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation and Good Sports, a national nonprofit, are extending their partnership with a new round of sports and fitness equipment donations to youth programs across Georgia.

In a highly competitive process that drew more than 70 applications, 17 groups were selected for equipment donations in this round of awards. In all, the 17 groups will receive $89,000 worth of new equipment, apparel and footwear. Together, these programs will remove barriers to participation for 7,744 children, including 4,363 girls, helping these young people realize the lifelong benefits of sport and physical activity.

“Using everything from soccer balls to yoga mats to weights, the groups receiving donations are giving young people what they need and want to expand participation in regular fitness activities,” said John Bare, vice president of The Arthur Blank Family Foundation, which administers AFYF grants. “With these donations, more young people will be off the sideline and in the game.”

Now in its sixth year, the Good Sports-AFYF partnership provides fitness and sports equipment donations to remove barriers for youth to participate in regular physical activity. Good Sports utilizes its relationships with equipment manufacturers and distributors to provide sports equipment to programs serving children in need. For every grant dollar from AFYF, Good Sports provides at least $2 in equipment donations.

“Good Sports’ primary goal every day is to ensure that the resources are available for children in need to become more active,” says Melissa Harper, Good Sports’ Chief Executive Officer. “The Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation has made the commitment to ensuring that all children in Georgia – regardless of economic standing or gender – have the opportunity to participate in youth sports, and continue to be a great partner with their support this year.”

This round of donations emphasizes the importance of expanding opportunities for girls. As a leader in this work, the Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Academy in Atlanta is receiving more than $6,000 in weightlifting equipment and workout apparel to support of the academy’s plans for a new weight room. The weight room will serve students during Physical Education classes and after-school sports. The need to sustain participation among young girls is documented in a 2015 study conducted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Harvard School of Public Health and NPR, that found 35 percent of boys continue to play sports as adults, while only 16 percent of girls do the same.

Since forming a partnership in 2010, Good Sports and AFYF have provided equipment donations worth $929,000 to 163 groups in 58 counties across Georgia. The equipment donations have helped more than 84,850 youth gain access to regular fitness activities.

The application period for the next cycle of Good Sports-AFYF equipment donations is open through Friday, May 27, 2016, with applications being accepted from across the state of Georgia. Groups can submit an application by visiting the Good Sports website – www.goodsports.org – and completing the online application. Approved applicants will be able to receive up to six (6) donations through Good Sports regular process over the next two years, and will also be considered for future grants through the Good Sports partnership with the AFYF. Any questions regarding the application can be directed to the Good Sports Program Team at community@goodsports.org.

The current equipment donations include the following:

Organization: Bleckley County Middle School (Bleckley County)

Donated Equipment: Basketballs, basketball jerseys, playground balls, badminton equipment, stopwatches and soccer balls

Organization: Boys & Girls Clubs of Hall County (Hall County)

Donated Equipment: Basketballs, volleyballs, soccer balls, playground balls, and stopwatches

Organization: Cascade Youth Organization. (Fulton County)

Donated Equipment: Footballs, football jerseys, football pants, stopwatches, mouthguards, and football girdle pads

Organization: Chicopee Woods Elementary School (Hall County)

Donated Equipment: Soccer goals, soccer balls, cones, pinnies, and stopwatches

Organization: Children in Action Sports Club, Inc. (Fulton County)

Donated Equipment: Basketballs, soccer balls, footballs, pop-up goals, and soccer goal 

Organization: Clinch County High School (Clinch County)

Donated Equipment: Softball catcher’s equipment, softball bats, uniforms, basketballs, footballs, and football girdle pads

Organization: Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Academy (Fulton County)

Donated Equipment: Leg extension/curl machine, bench press, weight plates, olympic bar, plyometric set, and work out apparel

Organization: International Community School (DeKalb County)

Donated Equipment: Soccer goals, soccer balls, volleyballs, basketballs, and playground balls

Organization: Brown Middle School (Fulton County)

Donated Equipment: Medicine balls, balance disks, agility ladders, speed rings, multi-size hurdle pack, pedometers, mouthguards, football girdles, softball pants, soccer balls, and stopwatches 

Organization: KiDsGyM USA (Fulton County)

Donated Equipment: Foam vaulting box, gymnastics mats

Organization: New Life S.A.Y. Yes! Center (Fulton County)

Donated Equipment: Starter tennis nets, tennis racquets, volleyballs, badminton racquets, shuttlecocks, basketballs, jump ropes, and soccer balls 

Organization: Parkside Elementary School (Fulton County)

Donated Equipment: Volleyballs, footballs, soccer balls, basketballs, floor hockey sets, playground balls, jump ropes, and pop-up soccer goals 

Organization: Richards Middle School (Gwinnett County)

Donated Equipment: Basketballs, soccer balls, and basketball jerseys

Organization: Taliaferro County School (Taliaferro County)

Donated Equipment: Basketballs, track shorts, track tops, soccer balls, and stopwatches

Organization: Tapestry Public Charter School (DeKalb County)

Donated Equipment: Soccer balls, basketballs, track shorts, track tops, cones, and stopwatches 

Organization: Tiftarea YMCA (Tift County)

Donated Equipment: Flag football belts, pinnies, corner flags, soccer goals, soccer balls, and footballs

Organization: Wesley International Academy (DeKalb County)

Donated Equipment: Volleyballs, volleyball nets, yoga mats, footballs, soccer balls, and basketballs

About Good Sports

Good Sports gives all kids the lifelong benefits of sport and physical activity by providing equipment, apparel and footwear to those most in need. Since 2003, Good Sports has provided more than $16 million worth of equipment to more than 2,700 youth programs, impacting over TWO MILLION kids. Good Sports has also been awarded a coveted 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, the nation’s largest charity evaluator, for sound fiscal management, transparency and accountability; is a Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance accredited charity; and is listed on Social Impact Exchange’s S&I 100, an index of top American nonprofits creating meaningful social impact. For more information on how you can support Good Sports, please visit www.goodsports.org

About The Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation

Investing across Georgia, the Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation helps nonprofit organizations reduce childhood obesity and improve youth fitness. The foundation was established in 1985 to serve as the philanthropic arm of the Atlanta Falcons. Since Arthur Blank acquired the Atlanta Falcons in 2002, the foundation has grown to be the largest owner-funded foundation in the National Football League, providing more than $20 million in grants to nonprofit organizations across the state of Georgia. For more information, visit www.AFYF.org.