LA84 Foundation Awards 26 Grants To Support Youth Development Through Sport

Funding announced today will impact over 38,000 underserved youth in diverse communities throughout Southern California

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Feb 04, 2016, 02:06 ET

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The LA84 Foundation, a legacy of the 1984 Olympic Games and the nationally recognized leader in support of youth sports, today announced it has awarded $1.3 million in grants for the first quarter of 2016. The 26 grants announced today are to nonprofit organizations that will engage over 38,000 youth in organized after-school sports programs to keep them active, safe and connected to positive adult role models. It is critical to involve youth in positive activities in the after-school hours, particularly in sports.

"As LA84 begins its next chapter, we are looking to reach new heights in our support of youth development through sports. We are pleased that this round of grants will help provide a safe place for LA's underserved children to go after school, where they can build character and be mentored," said LA84 Foundation President Renata Simril, who was officially inaugurated in a January 28^th ceremony with Mayor Eric Garcetti, and many other community and civic leaders. "Sports have the power to create a lasting positive impact on a child's life, and we are inspired by all the kids and organizations that embody the values that have encouraged our organization to give back to our communities since the 1984 Olympic Games."

A highlight of grantees includes:

LA's BEST received $335,000 to offer an after-school sports program which features basketball, flag football, softball and soccer in 188 elementary schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District. These schools are located in high crime, low-income communities throughout southeast Los Angeles and provide a safe haven for nearly 13,000 kids.

Heart of Los Angeles, which serves youngsters in the densely populated Rampart neighborhood in Los Angeles, received $75,000 for their popular soccer and basketball programs.

Play Rugby, Inc. will use its $77,650 award for personnel and equipment to introduce flag rugby at Los Angeles schools.

Proyecto Pastoral received $20,000 that will bring league play in basketball, soccer, flag football and baseball to Boyle Heights, including the Aliso Pico Recreation Center.

Beat the Streets-Los Angeles, Inc. will use its $23,563 grant to support their mission to cultivate excellence, respect, integrity and perseverance through the instruction of quality wrestling programs.

Other youth organizations in the greater Southern California area, also receiving LA84 grants include the following:

Southern California Tennis Association was awarded $150,000 to support personnel, athlete expenses and equipment for tennis programs in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego counties.
Positive Coaching Alliance was awarded $33,000 to provide 40 coaching education workshops in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties, aimed at providing youth and high school athletes a positive, character-building youth sports experience.
Project Fighting Chance was given $25,000 to help repair the roof and ceiling of their boxing program facility in San Bernardino County. Project Fighting Chance is a youth mentoring and life skills program that seeks to drive at-risk youth into the organized sport of amateur boxing and integrates athletics, healthy eating, vocational training, and education and counseling services.

For a full list of this round's grant recipients and award amounts, as well as more information about the LA84 grant application process, please visit www.la84.org/grantmaking.

About the LA84 Foundation

As a legacy of the 1984 Olympic Games, the LA84 Foundation has become the nationally recognized leader in support of youth sport programs and in elevating the importance of the role sports play in positive youth development. LA84 seeks to provide an opportunity for every child to participate in sports, and to improve social, academic, and health outcomes of youth. Since it began operations in 1985 with 40% of the surplus from the 1984 Olympic Games, it has invested $225 million back into the communities that supported the Games, supporting more than 3 million youth in the eight Southern California counties of Los Angeles, Imperial, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Ventura. The LA84 Foundation continues to promote the legacy of the 1984 Olympic Games by convening and engaging national and international audiences about the role of sport in society and the impact a successful Olympic Games can have on its host city, especially as we look to the 2024 Games. Its headquarters is the historic Britt House near downtown Los Angeles where it houses the world's premier sports library and meeting facilities. For more information, please visit www.la84.org.