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01/20/2010
City of Malibu (Calif.) collects sports equipment for Global Gear Drive
The City of Malibu Parks and Recreation Department (Calif.) recently donated more than 700 items to the Global Gear Drive, the charitable sports equipment program of the National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS).
With the help of Jimmy Loftus, a fourth grade student at Point Dume Elementary School, the City of Malibu collected new and gently used sports equipment for donation to less fortunate youth in the United States and around the world.
The Malibu Sports Gear Drive, which kicked off Nov. 26 of last year and ran through the end of January this year, collected 15 baseball helmets, 41 baseball bats, 64 baseballs, 22 soccer balls, 32 pairs of soccer cleats, 18 pairs of shin guards, 85 soccer uniforms – including soccer socks, 10 tennis racquets, 12 football helmets, 38 football jerseys and 26 basketballs, among other items.
“The City of Malibu’s efforts in collecting so much sports equipment is truly inspiring,” said Cindy Daub, director of the Sammy Wilkinson Memorial Fund, which oversees the Global Gear Drive. “Thousands of children will benefit from this generous donation.”
The Global Gear Drive is a program that was established by NAYS to put sports equipment in the hands of children living in developing regions around the world that wish to take part in quality sports activities but are unable to due to shortages of equipment and the lack of facilities in their countries. Recently, the Global Gear Drive has set its sights nationally by donating equipment to communities in need here in the U.S.
The Global Gear Drive is an easy process which individuals, sports leagues, schools, churches and communities can get involved in. Slightly used and new equipment is collected and then shipped around the world, where it gives children the chance to play sports that otherwise don’t have many opportunities to do so.
To learn more visit www.sammyfoundation.org/globalgeardrive.html.
01/20/2010
Cal Ripken, Jr. supports international Game On! Youth Sports program
The International Alliance for Youth Sports (IAYS) announced today that it has gained the support of baseball legend Cal Ripken, Jr. for its Game On! Youth Sports program.
“All kids deserve the chance to play and experience all that sports has to offer,” said Ripken. “Under Fred Engh’s leadership Game On! has made great strides in bringing the opportunity of sports to kids around the world.”
Gaining Ripken’s support will further IAYS’ efforts that recently were significantly enhanced by partnering with Children International, a U.S.-based humanitarian organization which helps more than 335,000 poor children worldwide.
“Having Cal Ripken’s support with the efforts we are undertaking with Children International will allow us to showcase to the world that sports truly are the outdoor classroom of life,” said Fred Engh, founder and president of IAYS. “Sports, when they are done the right way, teach children so many valuable skills that they will carry with them for the rest of their life and no child anywhere in the world should ever be denied those opportunities.”
Ripken will provide advice and guidance to IAYS and Fred Engh.
“I know from the first time I met Cal that his ultimate goal has been to see children benefit from sports done the Ripken Way,” Engh said. “The goals and philosophies of Game On! mesh perfectly with Cal’s approach to teaching children sports.”
“When I first heard about Game On! several years ago I liked the concept very much. Now Fred has taken the concept and made it a reality,” said Ripken. “Many kids have benefited from the program and I hope many more will do so in the future.”
Game On! Youth Sports was created by the IAYS to address issues that hinder sports programming for children and to give them opportunities to participate in sports, and experience healthier lifestyles that involve fewer chances of taking part in negative activities. Game On! Youth Sports programs have been held throughout Africa, India, Central America and the Caribbean. The IAYS features regional offices in Zambia, Trinidad, Mexico and India.
One of the many unique aspects of Game On! is that besides teaching sports skills, encouraging participation and promoting positive competition in a fun atmosphere, it also integrates a variety of life skills into the sessions. Children learn the importance of staying in school, how to make sound decisions, resist peer pressure and resolve conflicts.
Game On! also encourages participation from parents, teachers, teens and volunteers wishing to coach teams and organize games. By providing volunteer training, IAYS teaches parents and volunteers interpersonal communication skills which improve their relationships with children in their community. Training also enables teens to co-captain many younger teams and serve as positive role models.
The program has mass appeal to children of all ages and races, as it has been embraced by youngsters living in AIDS-ravaged countries in Africa as well as remote villages in India, to name just a few areas where it has had a significant impact.
The Game On! Youth Sports philosophy rests on the notion that once children have developed basic sports skills they are equipped with the confidence and motivation necessary to participate in the many physical and social activities that life offers.
For more information visit www.iays.org or www.children.org.
01/20/2010
FreightCenter providing additional 10 percent discount on shipping costs for Global Gear Drive partners
FreightCenter, the official sponsor of the Global Gear Drive, has announced that it is providing an additional 10 percent discount off its already reduced shipping rates for anyone involved in donating new and used sports equipment to children in need through this international effort.
The Global Gear Drive was created by the National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS) to put sports equipment in the hands of children living in developing regions around the world that wish to take part in quality sports activities but are unable to due to shortages of equipment and the lack of facilities in their countries. Since the Global Gear Drive’s inception, equipment has been sent to Zambia, Kenya, Nepal, India, Mexico, Darfur, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dominica, Anguilla and Trinidad and Tobago, among others. It also has sent many shipments to those areas in the U.S. that were ravaged by Hurricane Katrina.
FreightCenter, one of the largest internet-based freight logistics companies, has been providing significant discounts to parks and recreation departments, sports agencies, schools and individuals interested in shipping new and used sports equipment to NAYS headquarters for distribution to children worldwide through the Global Gear Drive.
FreightCenter’s decision to cut shipping rates by another 10 percent for all present and future partners of the Global Gear Drive will allow even more organizations to become involved with this highly acclaimed effort of changing the lives of children through the power of sports.
As a nonprofit organization one of the biggest obstacles has always been the cost associated with shipping equipment around the world,” said Cindy Daub, director of the Sammy Wilkinson Memorial Foundation, which oversees the Global Gear Drive. “The reduced shipping rates that FreightCenter established when they came on board as our sponsor have made it more feasible for organizations and individuals to get involved and donate equipment. Now, by offering even more substantial savings they are clearly demonstrating how passionate they are about helping make a difference and we are looking forward to seeing how many more children we will be able to impact because of their generosity.”
FreightCenter is a freight logistics company based in Tampa Bay, FL. They work with an extensive network of more than 100 LTL carriers and thousands of specialty carriers to provide complete transportation solutions for both individuals and businesses.
NAYS has been America’s leading advocate for positive and safe sports for children since 1981. In 2003 it established the International Alliance for Youth Sports (IAYS) to build the value of sports for children worldwide through programs like the Global Gear Drive.
For more information call (800) 729-2057, email gear@nays.org or visit www.iays.org.
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