How is the NFL trying to motivate kids to be active? Check out their Play60 campaign. So many professional athletes are donating their time to better their community. Find an athlete that you feel is making a positive impact on their community. Discuss how they are trying to make a difference.
Drew Brees has used his fame to set up camps and to rebuild New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. He has completely changed New Orleans for the better and has completely changed the Saints and their fans. He has also set up many camps for kids to learn football and to just play for awhile. The kids are mainly from low income families or homeless. He has made a huge impact on New Orleans and Louisiana as a whole!
ReplyDeleteAn athlete that is making a positive impact on his community is Dirk Nowitzki. Nowitzki is involved in multiple organizations, such as Big Brother Big Sister and Make-A-Wish Foundation, which impact the lives of kids and the community. Not only is he a Big Brother, but he also visits children at hospitals through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Nowitzki has also created the Dirk Nowitzki Foundation which focuses on providing health care, education, and well being for children on a global scale. Furthermore, for every three-pointer he makes during games, he donates $100 to Jonathan’s Place, an emergency shelter in Dallas. Nowitzki compassion for kids, both within the Dallas community and the global community, truly has a positive impact.
ReplyDeleteBrandon Inge, a defense player for the Tigers, has tocuhed the hearts of many in his community. Inge and his wife donated $100,000 to fund a pediatric infusion ceter, Mott Childrens Hospital in Michigan. Donating money however is not the only thing he has done, Inge has donated his time and plays. When Inge went to the plate he always had in mind the kids he visited at the hospital, everytime getting a homerun. Before one fame he had a little boy, Tommy Schomaker, sign his arm for good luck and winded up getting a home run that won the game. It isn't just the materalistic items that can make a sincere impact but also the time and dedication. Brandon Inge has given much of his heart to the kids and the purpose behind the hospital.
ReplyDeleteDwayne Wade, a star NBA player for the Miami heat, has used his success to “be bigger than basketball” to create an organization that helps underprivileged kids. Wade created a foundation called Wade’s World Foundation that provides support to community based organizations that promote health, education, and social skills to kids in at- risk situations. As of now Wade has based his services in his core communities of both Chicago and South Florida. However, they are working on expanding their foundation to reach many. Once a year Wade holds “A Week of Wade’s World” in South Florida which is a free basketball camp for over 600 kids form the Robbins, Illinois area. Wade’s support allows for inspiration and motivation for kids all over.
ReplyDeleteDemarcus Ware, Dallas Cowboys linebacker, is playing a huge role in the Play 60 Campaign. He visited Medrano Middle School in Dallas to get the students motivated to exercise more often. He said that those kids really look up to professional athletes and when they see them working out two to three times a day, it really motivates them to be more active. Ware also talked to the kids about the importance of physical education and staying in shape. Because DISD ranked seventh worst in the nation last year in terms of dropouts, Ware's appearence was very beneficial and encouraging. The Dallas Cowboys also donated $2,500 to the school so that they could get more exercise equipment. I think bringing in a professional athlete is one of the best ways to motivate kids to be more active.
ReplyDeleteJason Witten, Dallas Cowboys Tight End, is changing lives with his roles in his SCORE Foundation. This foundation has a program to help aid women from their battered lifestyles, by placing male mentors in six Texas shelters, to act as positive role models to children of broken homes. The goal of this program is to stop the "cycle of violence that plague families." Witten also targets another area of his community through his SCORE Foundation, called Move.Play.SCORE which creates awareness for kids healthily lifestyles. He is partners with a Dallas area Boys & Girls Club of America, and together they teach kids about nutrition, the importance of exercise and their inner strength and character. Witten's fountain holds an annual free football camp with coaches to 1,000 area kids. He received the 2010 Arthur S. Arkush Humanitarian Award and the 2008 Home Depot NFL Neighborhood MVP award for his outstanding amounts of charitable work. Jason Witten is a world class football player and above all a world class citizen.
ReplyDeletePaul Pierce from the Boston Celtics, along with a coalition of elite athletes from eight different sports are in an organization called, 'nPLAY. They are focusing on funding of financially supporting physical education and activity programs in low income areas which statistically suffer the highest rates of obesity in the United States. This foundation is going to be partnering with local governments and communities all over the United States to help keep this program going outside of school. He said, “I think it’s really important to be active in the community and show kids that it can be fun and rewarding to live a healthy lifestyle,” while he was visiting children while he was in Texas promoting another one of his organizations, Truth on Health.
ReplyDeleteThe Orlando Magic’s Dwight Howard has always been known to have a big heart, giving not only large sums of money to groups that help at-risk kids, but giving of his own time as well. He has met with children in cancer wards, at homeless shelters and even in earthquake-ravaged Haiti. He has also launched his nonprofit D12 foundation which is based on a vision of creating and developing initiatives that provide a long standing and positive impact on the lives of children.
ReplyDeleteDwight Howard is a professional basketball player and a great role model to many kids worldwide!
Tim Tebow, the quarterback of the Denver Broncos, is making a difference in many ways. His foundation, the Tim Tebow Foundation, created the Wish 15 program (W15H) and teamed up with CURE. W15H is a program that allows children and young adults with medical conditions to meet Tim Tebow at a Denver Broncos game. The participants, who are selected to attend a home or away Broncos game, get the opportunity to meet and spend time with Tim Tebow before and after the football game. The Wish 15 program pays for the transportation, hotel, and meals for the participant and their family. In addition, the Tim Tebow Foundation has teamed up with CURE, which is a nonprofit organization that assists children with various medical conditions such as clubfoot, cleft lips, and bowed legs. CURE provides medical attention to children of all ages and from all over the world. The CURE and the Tim Tebow Foundation plan to build a children’s hospital in the Philippines, the country where Tebow was born.
ReplyDeleteMia Hamm, one of the greatest and most well known soccer players in the world, is a strong activist in today's community by convincing people to get out and become active. She created her own charity foundation called the Mia Hamm Foundation, which is devoted to raising awareness, funds, and support for bone marrow transplant patients and their families, and it also provides opportunities for young woment to get out and play a sport. Mia Hamm holds an annual celebrity soccer match to support this charity and it is always a big hit! Also, Mia Hamm is a strong activist in the "Who Gives" organization, which is devoted to convincing athletes to give their back to the community. Mia Hamm has been a hero of mine ever since I was four years old. I hope you can see how she is such a well respected woman in the community.
ReplyDeleteEvander Holyfield is one of the many athletes that are on the warpath against childhood obesity. A professional boxer and avid supporter of the program 'nPLAY, he among various other athletes both current and former have been far and wide to visit public schools to reach out to young students and to advocate the importance of exercise and eating well for a healthy future. He himself has been coined stating simply that “[w]e hope to communicate our anti-obesity messages by getting kids to understand that their youth is their strength". Truly, beyond doubt, they have and yet continue to do just that.
ReplyDeleteNot only is NBA star, Dirk Nowitzki, a team player on the court but he's also a team player off the court and in the community. Every year, Dirk attends numerous organizations and signs autographs all in an effort to help less fortunate children. In 2007 Dirk was awarded by the NBA, the community assist award because of his extensive efforts in the community. Dirk does it all; making children's dreams come true through the 'make-a-wish' foundation, donating thousands of dollars worth of toys to local hospitals, participating in the 'big brother big sister foundation', and even his own foundtaion, the 'Dirk Nowtizki foundation'. Another special thing that Dirk does is that he donates $100 to Jonathan’s Place every time he makes a a 3-point shot. Dirk says "Helping kids is one of the best things I get to do as a professional athlete, and it is a privilege to be a part of those events."
ReplyDeleteAfter living the dream, Dirk noticed how hard that you have to work to achieve your dreams and he setup the 'Dirk Nowitzki Foundation'. The Dirk Nowitzki program is a special program created by Dirk himself, for others to donate money to provide children with proper education and health care around the world. This is only one of the many things that NBA star and community activist, Dirk Nowitzki does to help out others in need.
Not only is Offensive Rookie of the Year, Cam Newton, a star on the football field, but he is one off as well. The young star helps, many kids around the country to stay in shape no matter what you do. He grew up playing football his whole life, but he also knows how not doing any physical activity can change how someone can be. Living with a former NFL player, his dad, Cam has been invloved in athletics for a long time. Cam said this about NFL Play 60, "with physical activity in a young kids life, he/she can be more top physical shape so that when they are older, they can be more active. Cam doesn't just care about himself, but everyone around him.
ReplyDeleteWhat is play 60? The NFL PLAY 60 campaign is designed to tackle childhood obesity by getting kids active through in-school, afterschool and team-based programs, online child-targeted outreach on NFLRUSH.com, and many partnerships with like-minded organizations. Brandon Jacobs is a part of this influential campaign. Not only is he an NFL superstar on the field, he is also one off the field. Some kids bring their pet hamster to school for show and tell. Not seven-year-old Holden Angelson from Milburn, NY. He brought his new friend, New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs to school. Jacobs spent the morning with Angelson and then went to school with him to take part in some fitness-geared activities. Jacobs strives to get kids on their feet and exercise daily.
ReplyDeleteThe Indianapolis Colts quarterback, Peyton Manning, has set up his own foundation for kids with disabilities. The PeyBack Foundation was established in 1999 to promote the future of kids with disabilities. The foundation supports many organizations that provide leadership and growth. The Foundation selects programs that it can support financially and considers the grant program a partnership with these organizations, not just an exchange of money. The Foundation focuses of three states in particular: Indiana, Louisiana, and Tennessee. Peyton not only supports the PeyBack Foundation financially, as President of the foundation, but he is also active in all major decisions concerning its activities and Manning is constantly seeking new opportunities and organizations to further the success of the PeyBack Foundation.
ReplyDeletePlay 60 is a campaign by the NFL to encourage children to go be active at least sixty minutes a day to decrease the national problem of childhood obesity. It allows both children and their parents to actively get involved in Play 60 and makes it fun. Football players in the NFL aren’t the only ones that are participating in making their community a better place. 2008 Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson is teaming up with U.S. Representative Bruce Braley to introduce the Shawn Johnson Fitness for Life Act.
ReplyDeleteEven before the Olympics Shawn Johnson was active in bringing awareness to childhood obesity and finding ways to encourage kids to be active. She first teamed up with Veggie Tales to get kids to get out an hour a day with the organization, Small Step. Shawn Johnson recently accompanied First Lady, Michelle Obama, for a pep rally in Iowa for the “Let’s Move” Campaign. Johnson is now fighting with U.S. Representative Bruce Braley to pass to legislation to bring more technology into school physical education classes. This is a way to address childhood obesity as Braley says is “an epidemic in Iowa and nationwide”. It is a way to children more excited about physical education.
Other than her work with childhood Obesity, Shawn Johnson is also in support of March of Dimes, which helps mothers have full-term pregnancies and research health threatening problems in babies. Johnson has also done many charity events involving fighting cancer and other animal and children organizations. Some specific organizations she supports are Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Make-A-Wish, and Ronald McDonald House Charities. Despite her busy schedule in and out of the gym Shawn Johnson is constantly fighting to make her communities a better place.
Antwan Jamison is not only a hard working NBA star, but he also works very hard to help kids whose shows he once was in. Jamison has creates a charity, "A Better Tomorrow", where he host a basketball camp to inner city youth. This camp really teaches boys about hard work and effort, which is a big aspects of anyone's success. The kids are given a jersey with Jamison's number on their backs: number 4. The kids get to be with Jamison and listen to him cheer them on as they're playing. "A Better Tomorrow" is one of Jamison's greatest dream come trues.
ReplyDeleteEarvin Johnson or more famously know as Magic Johnson was diagnosed with HIV in 1991. After he was diagnosed he founded the Magic Jonson Foundation in the same year. This foundation attempts to educate the community about the health and social needs of ethnically diverse urban communities. Through this organization Johnson has provided many inter city kids a chance for them to obtain their GED and he has also increase public awareness of HIV/AIDS,by encouraging and providing free HIV/AIDS tests.
ReplyDeleteGary Payton is a professional basketball player from Oakland, California. He established the Gary Payton foundation in 1996. Payton grew up in the ghetto but was offered the opportunity to get out and go to college to make a future for himself. Now he focuses on giving kids the resources and means to go to college. Payton has been taking bright kids, talented kids, and giving them a chance to succeed in life. Payton personally assesses the kids that he believes deserves the opportunity he is willing to give them. He is involved in all parts of the process, not only does he help choose the kids but he also acts as their mentor, and works directly with potential colleges figuring out financial aids. Payton gives back to the community through offering kids the opportunity he was offered as a kid. He gives these kids a chance to go to a better place and be a better person.
ReplyDeleteNFL PLAY 60 is the National Football League's campaign to encourage kids to be active for 60 minutes a day in order to help reverse the trend of childhood obesity. There are many ways you can join the PLAY 60 movement. You can get involved through school programs, contests and community events. It helps children understand the value of a healthy lifestyle. I believe that Drew Brees would be a key figure in helping kids understand how important exercise is. Brees has established camps for kids after hurrican Katrina, plus he is an iconic football player which means most kids will know who he is!
ReplyDeleteThe NFL's Play 60 program is a monumental shift not only in the generosity of the NFL players, but in the health of our nation as well. If children can see their idols like Cam Newton and Larry Fitzgerald making an effort to get active, then that can have a huge effect in having those kids wanting to exercise as well. The program is genius, because it is common knowledge that kids idolize these superstars, so if any one could have an impact on them it would be these players. The motivation for change is due to the enormous national obesity rate. The obesity rate in the United States is way too high, and it is really cool to see the NFL and it's players striving to make a difference outside of themselves.
ReplyDeleteDerek Jeter, the shortstop for the New York Yankees, is making a positive impact on the inner city children of New York City. In 1996, he started the Turn 2 Foundation which helps youths who are at risk of turning to alcohol and drugs. By implementing Turn 2, Jeter has helped fund safe haven's for many "at risk" youths. It has grown to encompass healthy life styles, and Turn 2 has turned into an organization offering large amounts of afterschool activities and guidance to promote healthy lifestyles for youths in not only the New York City area but also Kalamazoo, Michigan and recently Tampa, Florida.
ReplyDeleteMaurice Jones-Drew (stud RB for the Jacksonville Jaguars and my #2 pick in this past year's fantasy season...ya I know what a snag) promotes the Play 60 campaign. He encourages 60 minutes of exercise everyday, whether 60 minutes straight or broken into smaller increments. He also encourages kids to consistently eat healthy. "If you keep it up it will help set you up to be successful in life" -MJD. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_c4jlF5VSVM
ReplyDeleteNFL play 60's campagn to eliminate childhood obesity is a popular trend that is sweaping the nation. Play 60 encourages kids to get up and get outside to play, with activities such as flag footballeven youth football groups and even more listed on their website nflrush.com. like all the great athletes particibating to better kids lives Lebron james does the same by donating 100million dollars over a 5 year plan to the Boys and Girls club. The boys and girls club is an organization that gives kids a safe environment to grow and learn it is dedicated for the development of young boys and girls. Leboron plans on donatiing a large amount to this orginzation in hope that is can reach more children and help them grow as well.
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2/21/12
Play 60 Challenge
Eli Manning, and along with his fellow teammates from the New York Giants, have teamed up together with the NFL Play 60 Challenge to help kids get out and be physically active. Manning and the team brought kids out to the new New York Giant’s stadium where they held workshops and work out sessions for kids of all ages. They taught the kids how to properly catch a football, how to tackle correctly using fake dummies, and had exercise drills that helped the kids with their foot work and speed. Manning is positively contributing back to the younger generation of kids by promoting physical exercise and making it fun. He tells kids about his dreams growing up about becoming a football player. He first wanted to be a linebacker but was never bug enough, then he thought about becoming a defensive back but was never quick enough, after that idea, he thought about becoming a wide receiver but never had the speed nor hand eye coordination. He finally threw the football one day and realized that he was good at quarterback. The message that he’s trying to tell kids is to never give up on something because you are not good at it. Don’t stop being physical because you don’t have the right qualities or attributes for that sport. All the different sports require different skills. Just because you are not good at one skill does not mean you will be bad at all the other skills. Try something else and focus on the skills that you can do. Like Eli says, “There’s something out there for everyone.”
Dirk Nowitzki does everything in his power to help kids and communities grow stronger, and children who are sick or terminally ill. Not only does he visit hospitals, but he also spends half an hour with each child who wishes to see him. He does this through the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Dirk Nowitzki is playing a huge role in donating his time into bettering the community. Dirk is involved in several organizations, such as Big Brother Big Sister and Make-A-Wish Foundation. Those are a huge help in bringing a community closer together and making an impact on lives. Dirk also created the Dirk Nowitzki Foundation which focuses on providing health care, education, and well being for children everywhere. He also is a big brother himself. Lastly for every three-pointer Dirk makes during games, he donates $100 to Jonathan’s Place, an emergency shelter in Dallas. So many people look up to Dirk and admire everything he does, resulting in making several communities better.
ReplyDeleteJackie Moreau 3rd
Drew Brees the quarterback for the Saints has in the past made New Orleans a better place. When Hurricane Katrina hit the city Drew and his wife created a foundation to help the cause. Through his foundation, Brees donated $450,000 to help refurbish the storm-ravaged schoolhouse and football field at the Lusher Charter School. Additional money goes to Katrina-related causes, while other funds go to youth organizations and help with the Katrina recovery effort.
ReplyDeletePeyton Manning, the quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts, has created The Peyback Foundation. The Peyback Foundation is a foundation dedicated to giving disadvantaged kids an opportunity to grow into something successful. Through leadership exercises Peyton is instilling a mindset into these kids who are otherwise vulnerable to failure. The Peyback Foundation has, since its creation in 1999, donated over 4.3 million dollars to organizations in communities in Indiana, Tennessee, and Louisiana. Unlike many foundations started by a famous face Peyton doesn't just support this foundation but he is also present and plays an active role in every decision made throughout his foundation. The main goal of this program is to provide children, who may have never gotten the opportunity, to create a bright future for themselves, because Peyton believes every child deserves that chance.
ReplyDeleteDerek Jeter, a shortstop for the New York Yankees has been running a foundation for 15 years now. The Turn 2 Foundation is an organization that is set up to help teenagers avoid the use of drugs and alcohol. Jeter’s 15 year old foundation proves just how much help this society needs in getting back on our feet from such a young age. This organization doesn’t just help in avoiding drugs and alcohol for young teenagers, but also rewards those who show high academic achievement.
ReplyDeletePlay 60 is a campaign designed to encourage kids to be active for 60 minutes a day. This program is designed to help with the obesity epidemic that is so common in our country today. By helping kids get up and be active, they are encouraging good health in order to get kids off the couch and outside. The NFL plays a huge part in this campaign and has donated over $200 million dollars to help improve the high rate of child obesity. Many different organizations are partners in this organization including the American Heart Association as well as the boys and girls club of America. Drew Brees, who is looked up to by many kids across the nation, has had a huge impact on the play 60 organization, donating thousands of dollars. By being involved, he is encouraging not only all his fans to get up and be active, but he is getting a message across that resonates with the younger generations which is be healthy and be active.
ReplyDeleteDikembe Mutombo was a defensive player who last played for the Houston Rockets before his retirement in 2009. In 1997, he founded the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation to improve the lives of the local people, improving the local education and health as well as combating the poverty in the area. He has donated over $15 million since 2001 for the Foundation to build a hospital in his hometown of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The hospital is about 75% complete, and Mutombo hopes to raise $2 million this year to see its completion. Mutombo has also donated equipment, insured education, and recently donated $150,000 to help underprivileged children in South Africa. The NBA awarded Mutombo in 2001 with the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award for this and many other works of charity he has done for the DCR and Kinshasa.
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