Co-founding Partner ESPN, National Partner
Gatorade and the Women's Sports Foundation (WSF®)
honor 10 years of this powerful initiative by awarding a historic
$500,000 to 50 community
organizations supporting girls of color through sports.
WNBA legend Sue
Bird honors the Foundation's 50th anniversary with a special
donation in partnership with CarMax to the Sports 4 Life
program.
NEW
YORK, July 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The
Women's Sports Foundation (WSF) is celebrating the 10th anniversary
of the Sports 4 Life program by announcing the largest grant pool
and class since the program's inception in 2014. This national
initiative – co-founded by ESPN and supported by Gatorade –
utilizes the power of sport to build a solid foundation for Black,
African-American, Hispanic and Native American girls to thrive in
sport and in life. Thanks to a special donation from Sue Bird in partnership with CarMax in honor of
the Foundation's 50th anniversary and additional contributions from
supporters, WSF is distributing a historic $500,000 via $10,000 grants to 50 organizations
across 22 states, and Washington,
D.C., helping fuel and diversify opportunities for more than
9,500 girls across 40 traditional, non-traditional,
and adaptive sports.
Sports 4 Life embodies WSF's 50-year legacy as it has worked to
build a more equitable future for girls both on and off the field
of play, especially where disparities persist. WSF's latest
research report, "Thriving Through Sport: The Transformative Impact
on Girls' Mental Health," illuminated that participating in
supportive sport environments positively impacts girls' mental
health, yet girls who identify as white are more likely to
participate in sport than their non-white peers. The data clearly
shows that getting more girls of color in the game is paramount to
helping them live healthier, more enriched lives. That is why
WSF is proud to amplify that since inception, Sports 4 Life has
funded 254 organizations across 40 states,
Washington, D.C. and the
U.S. Virgin Islands, providing
$2.8 million in grants to
nearly 90,000 girls participating in over 40
sports.
"For 50 years and counting, a simple belief has fueled our
mission at the Women's Sports Foundation – when girls play, they
lead and we all win," said WSF CEO Danette
Leighton. "The impact we have been able to make with this
powerful initiative wouldn't be possible without the shared vision
of our co-founding partner ESPN, the continued support of Gatorade,
and thanks to this year's donation from Sue
Bird and CarMax, we are able to celebrate its 10-year
milestone by reaching even more girls in communities who lack sport
access."
This year's grant recipients cover a gamut of traditional,
non-traditional and adaptive sports opportunities for girls,
including figure skating, flag football, and skateboarding. Thanks
to Bird's contribution, five of the grants will go to community
organizations who specialize in teaching basketball, a sport she
built a legendary career in and continues to invest in today.
"Even if girls don't go on to become professional athletes,
participating in sport at a young age helps build necessary skills
that will benefit them throughout their lifetimes," said Bird.
"That's why I am proud to support WSF's Sports 4 Life program as it
continues to eliminate barriers to sport for BIPOC girls,
surrounding them with a community to learn from and be inspired
by."
The program has had a profound impact on those who participate,
particularly in perseverance, education and leadership. According
to WSF's Communities at the Forefront report, which collected and
analyzed data from Sports 4 Life grant recipients, 97% of girls
agreed they would keep trying until they reached their goals, while
92% said participating in their programs helped them get
better grades. Furthermore, many reported that after a single
season of participation, they were far more likely to be involved
in leadership and community activities, compared to when they first
entered the programs.
"ESPN is proud to celebrate 10 years of Sports 4 Life and its
impact on young girls of color nationwide," said Kevin Martinez, vice president of ESPN Corporate
Citizenship. "When we created Sports 4 Life with the Women's Sports
Foundation, we understood that girls of color were
disproportionately excluded from opportunities to play sports.
Today, we are proud of how innovative grant making is shifting the
narrative, and we are committed to continue investing in young
girls of color through Sports 4 Life so that they can enjoy the
many benefits and gain leadership skills that come from playing
sports."
Thirty-five of the 50 community organizations are new to Sports
4 Life funding, further expanding the reach of this powerful
initiative. Helping girls of color play, compete and lead – in
sports and beyond – for a decade, the program has had a
generational impact with many of the participants from the
inaugural class now holding leadership positions at the
organizations who encouraged them to #KeepPlaying. Read more about
their stories here.
"As a multi-year partner of the Women's Sports Foundation, and
supporter of Sports 4 Life, Gatorade celebrates the 10th
anniversary of the program and its impact on girls across the
country," said Jennifer Schmit,
senior director, Gatorade Community Marketing & Impact. "We are
aligned with WSF in believing in the transformative power of sport
and are committed to creating more opportunities for girls to play
– and stay – in sports."
Learn more and meet our 2024 grant recipients here.
About the Women's Sports Foundation
The Women's Sports
Foundation exists to enable girls and women to reach their
potential in sport and life. We are an ally, an advocate, and a
catalyst. Founded by Billie Jean
King in 1974, we are one of the first organizations
to recognize the powerful connection between sports access, equity,
and society. WSF has been changing the game for 50 years through
its research, advocacy, and community programming, investing over
$100 million to help girls and women
play, compete, and lead – in sports and beyond – without barriers.
A leader and champion of the entire women's sports ecosystem, WSF
amplifies the vital societal and cultural impact that is made when
girls and women play sports. All girls. All women. All
sports® To learn more about the Women's Sports
Foundation, please visit www.WomensSportsFoundation.org.
About ESPN Corporate Citizenship
ESPN believes that,
at its very best, sports uplift the human spirit. Its corporate
citizenship programs use the power of sport to positively address
society's needs through strategic community investments, cause
marketing programs, collaboration with sports organizations and
employee volunteerism, while also utilizing its diverse media
assets. www.espn.com/espn/citizenship
About Gatorade Portfolio
The Gatorade Portfolio, a
division of PepsiCo (NASDAQ: PEP), is a connected performance and
wellness ecosystem built to fuel all athletes and exercisers.
Bringing together Gatorade, Fast Twitch, Propel, Evolve and Muscle
Milk, the Gatorade Portfolio is the most complete offering in the
category today, with a broad range of personalized solutions at
every stage of the athlete journey. This integrated system of
brands is built on Gatorade's 59-year history of studying athletes
and is fueling the future of athletic performance and wellness by
delivering solutions across hydration, protein, energy, and all-day
nutrition to fuel consumers, no matter how or why they sweat. For
more information and a full list of product offerings, please visit
www.gatorade.com.
Media Contacts:
Kandice
Miller
Women's Sports Foundation
479.409.7779
KMiller@WomensSportsFoundation.org
John Manzo
ESPN
586.713.9347
John.Manzo@espn.com
Meaghan Levenstein
Gatorade
804-216-3679
Meaghan.Levenstein@pepsico.com
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SOURCE Women's Sports Foundation