“Sticks-2-Schools” Lands $16,500 in Sponsorships, Funds Enable TEAM Stealth’s On-Campus Lacrosse Program to Reach 12,000 Bay Area School Children TEAM Construction and Development and San Jose Stealth Joined by 14 Local Firms in Campaign to Promote Fitness, Fight Childhood Obesity San Jose, CA — November 30, 2005 — Sticks-2-Schools, a new program that encourages children to become active by playing lacrosse, has received an additional $10,500 in sponsorships from Bay Area businesses, bringing the total to $16,500, to provide lacrosse sticks, balls and instruction to the physical education (P.E.) departments and after-school programs at Bay Area schools. The program was founded TEAM Construction and Development, a full-service general contractor offering construction, building management and technology services; and the San Jose Stealth, a National Lacrosse League team based in San Jose. Together, the two organizations are known as TEAM Stealth.
“I’m overjoyed by the incredible generosity of our business community,” said TEAM Construction and Development CEO Eric Venzon. “With our first round of $6,000 in sponsorships, we were able to provide the equipment and instruction that will be used by an estimated 3,200 local school children. This additional $10,500 in sponsorships enables us to help twelve more schools and another 8,800 students. Sticks-2-Schools will give 12,000 Bay Area kids a chance to get fit and have fun playing lacrosse.”
Venzon noted that there are 30,000 more students and 40 more schools in the San Jose/San Francisco Bay Area interested in integrating lacrosse into their physical education programs as soon as sponsors can be found. “We’re almost halfway to our goal of $40,000 in sponsorships,” he said.
New Sticks-2-Schools sponsors Bay Area Asphalt & Cement Works (San Jose), Bob Mezeul Intero Real Estate (Livermore), Mustafa Gurleroglu Allstate Insurance Agency (San Jose), RK Electric (Fremont), Statewide Roofing (Gilroy), Sure Fire Protection (San Jose), TEAM Construction and Development (San Jose) and Westlake Global Management (San Mateo) join Eastmont Properties (Oakland), Monster Cable (Brisbane), Winthrop Insurance Plan (San Mateo), and San Jose-based Customized Performance, Petrinovich, Pugh & Co., and Triplett Financial Services as financial supporters of the Sticks-2-Schools program.
“The response has been phenomenal from both our sponsors and the schools,” said San Jose Stealth General Manager Johnny Mouradian. “Right now, many school P.E. programs do the same old thing – traditional sports that kids have been playing for decades. Sticks-2-Schools levels the playing field for all kids, since not many have picked up a lacrosse stick before this program.”
Sticks-2-Schools teaches children a “soft” version of lacrosse. The sport involves no contact, uses a soft ball and can be played by mixed-age-group teams of both girls and boys. At each school or district, Mouradian reviews a “Stealth-asized” lacrosse instruction manual with school program administrators and P.E. teachers, followed by basic drills to familiarize the educators with the equipment.
“Our after-school program coordinators recently attended a lacrosse training meeting,” said Oscar Aparicio, site coordinator of the Campbell Union School District’s after-school program. “They were very enthusiastic and said they thought that Sticks-2-Schools will be great program. We’re excited about getting sticks and balls in the hands of the 350 kids that attend after-school programs at our five schools.”
Alameda Unified School District P.E. Department Head District Debbie Opperud arranged for more than 20 teachers to attend a Sticks-2-Schools clinic during a recent professional development day. “After three hours of learning how to coach and play lacrosse, my teachers were jazzed,” she said. “All 16 schools in our district are anxious to get started.”
The Sticks-2-Schools Program offers businesses and individuals four levels of sponsorship to help fund school-based lacrosse programs. For a contribution of $1,000, “Diamond Breakaway Sponsors” receive two premium lower bowl 2006 season tickets to see the San Jose Stealth play at HP Pavilion and are recognized as full sponsors of a Sticks-2-Schools school-based lacrosse program. “Gold Overtime Sponsors” (a $750 contribution) also receive two premium lower bowl season tickets, while “Silver Face-Off Sponsors” (a $500 contribution) receive two best-available lower bowl season tickets. Contributions from Gold and Silver sponsors are combined to bring the Sticks-2-Schools lacrosse program to the next school on the waiting list. Although Bronze Sponsors ($250 contributors) do not receive Stealth season tickets, 100 percent of their contribution is used to bring the Sticks-2-Schools lacrosse program to a local school. Diamond, Gold and Silver sponsors will have their names announced at Stealth home games and be recognized on the Sticks-2-Schools webpage at www.sticks2schools.com. Potential sponsors can contact TEAM-Stealth at 408-287-2700.
About The San Jose Stealth
The San Jose Stealth, a member of the National Lacrosse League (NLL), will host the Colorado Mammoth on January 14, 2006 for their home opener at HP Pavilion in San Jose. During the 2006 Season, the Stealth will play a 16-game schedule (eight home and eight away) against members of the six-team Western Division (Colorado, Portland, Arizona, Calgary and Edmonton), and against four Eastern Division teams (Philadelphia, Rochester, Buffalo and Minnesota). The NLL’s regular season concludes on April 15th with the Champion’s Cup Playoffs to follow. More information on the San Jose Stealth can be found at www.sjstealth.com or by calling 408-999-5708.About TEAM Construction
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TEAM Construction and Development, Inc., a member of the TEAMWRKX family of companies, is a full-service general contractor offering construction, building management and technology services. The 25th largest commercial contractor in Silicon Valley with revenues of $20 million, the company is unique in the construction industry in that it focuses on personal commitment, mutual support and honest communication among TEAM members, vendors and clients. More information about TEAM Construction and Development can be found at www.team-construction.com or by calling 408-287-2700.