Nike and HandsOn Network honor 20 Gamechangers who use service to improve their communities

NikeGamechangers — Thu, 07 May 2009 12:45:28 GMT

Athletes* Serve Discovers Local Gamechangers

NikeUSRetail Community Relations created a partnership with the HandsOn Network to celebrate twenty young people who use volunteerism and sport as a tool for social change to celebrate Global Youth Service Day. The winners were identified after a month of outreach to local communities through the HandsOn Network and the NikeStores which were participating. Nike presented each winner a $150 Nike iD gift card and a $1,000 grant was made in their name to the organization of their choice.

About the HandsOn Network:
HandsOn Network is the largest volunteer mobilization/community impact organization in the United States. Their network of 230 affiliates increases the capacity of 31,000 nonprofit organizations.

About the winners:

Westchester: Alexander “Lex” Cardone
http://www.citysquash.org
Lex is the kind of kid who generally flies under the radar, doing service for others without expecting any recognition or reward.

Lex has personally coached, played, counseled, led by example and extended himself for CitySquash in innumerable ways. Lex reflects Rye Country Day School's motto: "Not for Self, but for Service". He has quietly used his talents and interests to benefit others.

He has coached at school practices and s acted as a counselor at summer camp. He has also organized a fundraiser called Swing for CitySquash last July by rallying high school student from his area to participate in a golf-outing. Not only was it the first student-run fundraiser in CitySquash's six-year history, it also netted more than $15,000.00 for CitySquash.

Westchester: Anna Eisenstein and Krista Gabarro
http://www.pclt.net/preserves/lindera/lindera.htm
In September 2005, ninth grade students, Anna Eisenstein and Krista Gabarro began a process to create a handicapped accessible nature trail as a community service project. Over the course of the next 3 years, they worked hundreds of hours and raised over $15,000 from community and civic organizations and local businesses. They formed a partnership with the Putnam County Land Trust and in October of 2008, the Lindera Loop Trail was opened.

This monumental accomplishment by the girls will have a lasting impact on the entire community. Our handicapped and disabled residents will have access to nature and the physical activity that accompanies use of the trail. All residents have the right to use the path, and with that comes the psychological benefit that the community cares about the welfare of all of our citizens.

The girls are committed to the continued viability of the trail. They have recruited and trained volunteers to maintain the trail when they go to college.

Westchester: Brian Gifford
As National Honor Society chapter president, Brian initiated and organized an enormous project to reclaim and renovate the field used by their community's baseball teams. Over 50 students have dedicated more than 200 hours thus far raking, weeding, sweeping, etc and will begin putting down new clay in the infield and cleaning graffiti and painting walls and railings over spring break. Brian has worked tirelessly yet always had a smile or encouraging word for others. This project will make sports more accessible for all citizens of his community.

The baseball field that Brian has helped National Honor Society to adopt was in desperate need of attention. Repairing and upgrading this field impacts not just the athletes who use it, but also their families. For example, our hope is that kids in wheel chairs will be able to go around the bases once we have re-clayed the infield. This ability to really experience baseball will be huge for our young players as well as for their families. Over 250 kids will use the field this year.

Westchester: Alex Strauss
http://www.afyafoundation.org/
Last July, Alex Straus, an extraordinary 13 year-old boy, began volunteering at Afya. Afya collects surplus/recovered medical and humanitarian supplies and sends them to developing nations in Africa and the Caribbean. Alex, a talented soccer and baseball player, heard stories about fields of children, just sitting and sadly waiting for their parent to be discharged from hospitals in Malawi. He thought about how children need physical activity and sporting equipment; and responded. Alex spearheaded a massive soccer equipment recovery/donation effort in his school and community. Soccer leagues in Neno, Malawi now exist because of Alex s vision and action. To begin his project Alex:

1. Designed/implemented a soccer equipment donation program at his middle school and community
2. Packed and labeled an entire pallet of soccer equipment for young athletes 3. Helped make it possible for a trained soccer player to recruit and train local men in Neno to serve as coaches for leagues
4. Neno, Malawi now has soccer leagues and coaches, based at the health center, and they compete regularly with other districts
5. Single-handedly, Alex has packed over 800 boxes of medical supplies 6. He has recruited friends and classmates to volunteer weekly at the warehouse and is a huge advocate for Afya.

Mall of America: Bolder Options Mentors
http://www.bolderoptions.org/
Thirty mentors volunteer 6,000 hours in one year working with thirty children who are truant, have committed a first-time non-violent offense, or are in need of a positive adult role model. The mentors train with their students for local 5k races and cycling tours.

These mentors help teens to grow, flourish, stay in school, and become contributing members of our community. This is accomplished through a mentoring relationship developed through athletic training and running.

Mall of America: Donnell Crayton
Donnell Crayton has spent countless hours helping with our after-school program of kids ages 6-12 by showing them the benefits of staying active through sports; both competitive and pick up games.

Children in his group learn fair play, good sportsmanship and leave at the end of the day feeling like they have learned something worth while. They’ve learned that caring, compassion and friendship can come from unexpected sources. These are such valuable lessons for the youth in this inner city neighborhood

Mall of America: Brendan J. Kurvers
Brendan has helped coach community youth hockey teams in Burnsville and Eden Prairie; he helps with practice, gives them knowledge of the game, teaches them to listen, helps with hockey skills and drills, and attends their games to provide support. Brendan has been helping coach youth hockey for all three years of high school. He also participated two years in the American Cancer Society s Relay for Life. As part of the Burnsville High School Student Council, he participated in many community service activities, including Armful of Love, organizing a blood drive, and disaster relief.

Mall of America: Kristen Spies
http://www.ppl-inc.org/
Kristen Spies dedicates herself to making her community better every hour of every day. She is an inspiration both in work and at home. For the past two years, she has served as an AmeriCorps Member at the Minneapolis based nonprofit PPL. Kristen also trains and volunteers for marathons, fundraising 5ks, and awareness events. She is an outspoken advocate of causes ranging from poverty reduction to cancer awareness and prevention.

For the past two years Kristen has served Project for Pride in Living as a community organizer and after school program coordinator. She works tirelessly from 9am to 8pm helping youth improve their literacy, social skills and athletic abilities.

Lenox: Community Action for Teens
http://www.icpacs.org/?db=youth
Community Action for Teens, (CAT), is a youth-led leadership group that works with the Center for Pan Asian Community Services to create and participate in meaningful activities to enrich the surrounding community. CAT creates their own service events to promote anti-substance abuse and healthy lifestyle choices. CAT works to educate the community about the necessity of staying drug free, how substances affect the body and the importance of physical activity. This program included a “fashion show” of athletes and professionals who keep their bodies healthy by staying drug free.

Lenox: Ariella Axler and Melody Yin
http://www.takeaswingtennis.org
Ariella Axler and Melody Yin launched Take a Swing, Inc. with the help of Youth Venture to help children from disadvantaged neighborhoods in Atlanta learn to play tennis. Combining strategy and fitness, the program helps children build strength and self-confidence. In June 2008, Take a Swing, Inc. was officially incorporated as a non-profit organization and soon after ran a three week, USTA-backed tennis camp for children from the Latin American Association.

Lenox: Claire Tracey
http://www.drivingmagicinc.org/
Claire mild cerebral palsy and has overcome paralysis to be the athlete she is today after starting with Driving Magic, Inc. as a participant four years ago. As personal accomplishments over her disability grew, so did her confidence and desire to help others. In 2006, Claire began giving back to the program, first by volunteering for fundraising events then by acting as a lesson volunteer. Clair uses her natural ability with horses and skills as a driver to harness, hitch and warm-up horses during lessons, teach students basic rein handling and commands, and assist instructors with preparing teaching aids.

Claire is committed to bringing athleticism to disabled people through Driving Magic. Claire understands the desire and need for even the most handicapped to enjoy their body and live life to the fullest.

Lenox: Jordan Schwartz
http://www.childrensbilingualtheater.org/
Jordan founded The Children’s Bilingual Theatre five years ago as a fifth grader. Today the theatre teaches life skills, study, cooperation, diversity and confidence. For Jordan, theatre is her team sport. It requires individual effort and discipline, and if the ensemble does not work as a team it won’t produce a winner. Her theater takes on difficult issues including bullying and discrimination to improve her community.

Westfarms: Lauren Callahan
Lauren plays field hockey, lacrosse and is a member of a baton twirling club. She was one of the captains of the school’s field hockey team.

Lauren took on a special athlete partner and mentorship role for a Special Olympian. This endeavor involved a commitment of three hours a week for at least four months. Her coach praised her for her uniqueness in understanding the special athletes and her ability to work with individuals of all ages and background. This experience culminated with Lauren playing with the Special Olympian partner at the recently held Special Winter Olympic Games for this region.

Westfarms: Tom Dunn
Tom has been a volunteer coach for the learn-to-skate town hockey program for the past three years. This commitment requires being at the rink and ready to go at 7am on Saturdays and Sundays, from September to March, ready to instruct very eager and wide-awake 5-7 year olds. Tom has played hockey for eleven years and enjoys sharing his love and knowledge of the sport.

Tom’s goal has been to mentor and be a role model for these young players, to show them the skills of the game, but more importantly, show them how to have fun as a team and to develop respect for their coaches, referees, and teammates.

Westfarms: Husky Sports
Husky Sport is a program dedicated to role modeling positive life choices by focusing on three specific areas, healthy nutrition, transferable life skills, and introducing new physical activities and sports to children in Hartford, Connecticut. This mission is carried out by UConn affiliated mentors (undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff). In partnership with the City of Hartford, and the Hartford Public Schools, Husky Sport has been able to establish lasting relationships among the children and adults within the community through weekly programs that run year round.

Westfarms: Saint Joseph Student-Athlete Advisory Committee
The Saint Joseph College Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) is an organization of student-athletes created to assist the student-athlete with any questions, concerns or issues they may have with their athletic programs, administration or various parts of the Saint Joseph College community.

SAAC has made a point to give back to the surrounding community through various volunteer community service programs. One of the biggest programs SAAC has been involved is activities celebrating girls and women in sport. The student-athletes volunteer their time by teaching and being positive role models to young girls, between the ages of eight and fourteen, by leading short sport clinics in their sport of expertise including; softball, tennis, soccer, swimming cross-country, volleyball, basketball and lacrosse.

Bay Street: John Holland-McCowan
www.kidscheeringkids.com
John started a pledge drive to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS affected orphans in Swaziland, Africa. He asked the school community to run, walk, swim or bike 10,420 miles which is the distance from California to Swaziland. John’s schools swim team has adopted the project and is counting the laps they swim during swim practice. Kids are excited to add up their miles and are innovative in earning them. Some children are skiing their miles, others are riding horses and skateboarding.

Bay Street: Halle Tecco
http://www.yogabear.org/
Halle is a life-long cancer advocate and fundraiser and an 8-year yogi. In 2006, she combined these passions to bring more opportunities for health and wellness to cancer survivors through yoga. She founded Yoga Bear, a 501(c) 3 that is now a national force. On a very limited budget ($1000 annually), Yoga Bear partners with yoga studios across the US (currently 125) to provide free yoga classes to cancer survivors in the community. Because of her vision and dedication, hundreds of cancer survivors now have access to yoga for healing across the US.

Bay Street: Garrett Weiss & Kyle Weiss
www.FUNDaFIELD.com
FUNDaFIELD is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization established in August 2006 by two brothers after attending the World Cup in Germany. Currently run by twenty-seven middle and high school age kids, FUNDaFIELD was inspired by the story of the Angolan soccer team and is dedicated to enriching the lives of youth in Africa through sports by providing soccer fields and equipment. These young people have raised $75,000 and have funded four soccer fields in Africa. FUNDaFIELD team members volunteered 2,649 hours in 2008. The organization held a soccer tournament in Africa last year and this year they will be holding two tournaments in Uganda.

Bay Street: David Matthew Hernandez
Volunteerism for this young man equates to compassion and hard work. He is truly dedicated to making his community a better and safer place for young children. Many of the community projects he leads are fundraisers for California High School's football team and also local fundraisers for the local church's youth team. David is young man who has endured a tough life but, through the help of his family and passion for football he has been able to mature and realize the value of giving back. As a line backer for his high school's football team he also has realized the value of athleticism and team work and these same principles he carries over to his volunteer work in the church and nominee's high school.

Game Changers en_US

Nike and HandsOn Network honor 20 Gamechangers who use service to improve their communities