Help this Los Angeles underdog during the 12 Days of Giftmas
NOTE FROM THE EDITORS: THIS GOAL HAS BEEN MET! BUT YOU CAN GIVE TO ANOTHER WORTHY CAUSE HERE.
From December 14 through December 25, GOOD Sports will feature the worthiest school athletic programs in need of funding.
Last year the softball team at Alain Leroy Locke College Preparatory Academy entered the Los Angeles city playoffs with its first winning record in years, despite several players not owning gloves or cleats.
Locke, which parents voted to reconstitute as a public charter in 2008, is an academic overperformer in a historically low-income neighborhood in south LA. While the school receives Title I federal funding, its athletic department still relies on financial contributions from parents and the community.
Special education teacher Shaun Gellman is the softball coach. As he explains on DonorsChoose.org, self-funding for teams often doesn’t cut it:
It's hard to do fundraisers at school, because there are few community resources that we all share, including spare dollars and change.
This holiday season Gellman is reaching out to the internet for help purchasing new equipment. For many of his players, he writes, this is the only opportunity to play organized sports.
Many of our students have never played organized sports before they come to our school. They live in a community that doesn't have many youth organizations and, often, they have to work to help support their families. Joining the softball team requires a lot of bravery and playing against other teams can build character.
The team is asking for just $325, which will go toward fresh line up cards, scorebooks, and softballs. You can donate here.
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