Louisville, Ga., March 1, 2019 – The Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation (AFYF), an affiliate of The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, and Good Sports, a national nonprofit, are extending their partnership to keep Georgia kids active through a new round of equipment donations to middle schools across the state.
In 2018, 32 middle schools across the state of Georgia submitted videos to the “How Does Fitness Rule Your School” contest hosted by the Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation and Good Sports. Ten of these schools were selected based on their video submissions and equipment needs, with Louisville Middle School in Louisville, Georgia, winning the grand prize of a $30,000 equipment donation as well as more than $25,000 in weight room upgrades.
“We would like to thank the Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation and Good Sports for their generosity to our school,” said Curt McGahee, Athletic Director at Louisville Middle School. “Our students often don’t get to experience some of the things other students do because of financial reasons. The equipment donated will definitely be put to good use at Louisville Middle School.”
The donation culminated with an unveiling event and pep rally at Louisville Middle School on Feb. 22. More than 300 students and staff attended the event, which included performances from the school band and cheerleading team. Along with the new equipment and uniforms, every student received an Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation t-shirt to commemorate the experience.
“There were so many schools deserving of this new equipment, and it was a really hard choice to pick a winner,” said Lauren Litwack, Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation Committee Member. “From the moment we arrived in Louisville, the energy and gratitude from the students, teachers and local officials was amazing. It’s an honor to be a member of the Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation associate committee, and it’s really heartwarming to be a part of these moments where we get to see our work come to life.”
Since 2010, the Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation has awarded more than $625,000 in grants to Good Sports, which has leveraged the funding to donate more than $1,400,000 worth of equipment to youth across Georgia. These donations have provided the opportunity for more than 120,000 kids in 111 of Georgia’s 159 counties to be consistently physically active.
“Our partnership with the Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation enables Good Sports to provide even more equipment to deserving youth across the state of Georgia,” said Melissa Harper, CEO of Good Sports. “Together, we are thrilled to support these organizations and we look forward to continuing our work to keep children active, healthy, and happy.”
Applications for AFYF-Good Sports equipment donations are accepted on a rolling basis. Programs can learn more and apply by visiting www.goodsports.org/afyf. Any questions regarding the application can be directed to the Good Sports Program Team at community@goodsports.org.
The video contest winners are as follows:
Organization: Louisville Middle School (Louisville, Ga.) Organization: Brooks County Middle School (Quitman, Ga.) Organization: Davidson Fine Arts Academy (Augusta, Ga.) Organization: Daniell Middle School (Marietta, Ga.) Organization: M.D. Roberts Middle School (Jonesboro, Ga.) Organization: North Clayton Middle School (College Park, Ga.) Organization: Camp Creek Middle School (College Park, Ga.) Organization: Sweetwater Middle School (Lawrenceville, Ga.) Organization: Babb Middle School (Forest Park, Ga.) Organization: Sylvan Hills Middle School (Atlanta, Ga.)
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 $40 million worth of equipment to more than 4,200 youth programs, impacting over six million kids. Good Sports has 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. To learn more or to get involved, please visit www.goodsports.org.
About The Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation
Investing across Georgia, the Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation, an affiliate fund of The Arthur M. Blank Family 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.
