“CREATING CHANGE THROUGH SPORTS” GABBY REECE AND PAM SHRIVER HELP SEND OFF 150 COACHES TO MENTOR 15,000 YOUTH IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES

WHAT:            

On October 1st Up2Us, a national not-for-profit organization leading the movement to promote sports as the solution to the critical challenges facing America’s youth, will send off 150 coaches to mentor 15,000 kids in underserved communities in Los Angeles and throughout the West Coast. Up2Us member organization Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA) will help host special guests Gabby Reece, Pam Shriver and representatives from the City of Los Angeles and Recreation and Parks as they join 150 coaches on their march from Los Angeles’ MacArthur Park to Lafayette Community Center for the Send-Off ceremony and reception.

WHERE:        Start:                                       End:

                      MacArthur Park                         Lafayette Community Center

                      2230 W. 6th Street                  625 S. Lafayette Park Place

WHEN:           

12:30 p.m.—walk                    1:00-2:00pm—presentations and victory lap

WHO:             

Paul Caccamo—Founder and Executive Director, Up2Us

Gabby Reece—Former professional volleyball player and Fitness Expert

Pam Shriver—ESPN Correspondent, Olympic Gold Medalist, International Tennis Hall of Famer

John Kirk Mukri—General Manager, Recreation and Parks

Interviews with guests and coaches helping L.A. youth as well as event photos available upon request.

VISUALS:       

150 coaches and guests wearing bright red shirts with Up2Us logo walking down Wilshire Blvd with downtown L.A. backdrop—Presentations by guests at Lafayette Community Center with Lakers logo on gym floor—Up2Us coaches participating in victory lap and chant as part of commencement ceremony.

WHY:             

Kids are most likely to fall victim to unsafe and unhealthy activities between the hours of 3-6 p.m. on school days. Unfortunately, more and more sports and after school programs are suffering budget cuts, leaving kids in underserved communities the most vulnerable to becoming a statistic. In fact, L.A. has seen an increase in gang recruitment activities as parks return to normal operating hours and kids go back to school. Up2Us’ Coach Across America program is the first national program that challenges young adults to give back to their communities through a year of service as coach-mentors to at-risk youth. This year, Up2Us is placing more than 400 CAA coach-mentors nationwide, reaching 50,000 children. The “Changing Through Sports” event on Oct. 1st is part of Up2Us’ Coach Across America (CAA) program and National Coach Training Institute, where volunteer coach-mentors participate in an intensive 4-day training and certification program (Sept 28-Oct 1) focused on applying mentoring and trauma sensitive coaching techniques to better support at-risk youth and the critical challenges they face including, obesity, violence and academic failure.