Sticks-2-Schools Kicks Off 2009 Season with Donation from Pleasanton Lacrosse Club (PLC), Private Donors Contribute $21,500 to Help Fight Childhood Obesity
Pleasanton, CA – Sticks-2-Schools, a local nonprofit organization fighting childhood obesity, received a donation of $4,000 from the Pleasanton Lacrosse Club (PLC) to add two Pleasanton-area schools to the S2S program. The Sticks-2-Schools (S2S) program funds the implementation of lacrosse into a school’s physical education (PE) curriculum to encourage children to become more active. In addition to the PLC’s donation, several S2S board members made personal donations to the program, bringing the total donations to $21,500 to launch the 2009 season.
“We knew of the commitment and leadership that goes into Sticks-2-Schools, and their actions are consistent with PLC’s mission. The program not only reveals lacrosse as a great sport, it builds character and life skills. How could we not align ourselves with such a beneficial program?” said Jeffrey Mills, board member of the Pleasanton Lacrosse Club.
Recent budgets cuts have forced local schools to consider reducing PE activities and in some cases, eliminating sports programs altogether. Unfortunately, a reduction in physical activity increases the chances that a child will become obese. Sticks-2-Schools hopes to reverse this trend by reenergizing youth and teaching them how to get fit by playing lacrosse. The San Jose Stealth, a professional indoor lacrosse team that has supported S2S since the program’s inception in 2005, provides professional players to assist with lacrosse instruction at the schools, as well as program coordination and promotion.
“We appreciate the generosity of our donors and their confidence that Sticks-2-Schools can help reduce childhood obesity,” said S2S Board of Directors President Eric Venzon. “These donations bring us closer to our goal of raising $100,000 to implement the program at the 50 schools on our waiting list.”
The Pleasanton Lacrosse Club (PLC) was founded in 2002 to provide Pleasanton area youth the opportunity to learn about and play lacrosse. The nonprofit corporation is organized and led by volunteers in the Pleasanton Area. By bringing lacrosse to the schools, PLC hopes to educate students and teachers about a sport suitable for players of all skill levels. More information about PLC is available at www.pleasantonlacrosse.com.
The San Jose Stealth is a professional indoor lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League (NLL). They play at HP Pavilion in San Jose during a season that officially kicks off in January. More information about the San Jose Stealth is available at www.sjstealth.com.
Sticks-2-Schools is a non-profit, public benefit corporation dedicated to reducing childhood obesity. Focusing on the sport of lacrosse, S2S coordinates and leads a collaboration of sponsors, equipment manufacturers, athletes, teachers and staff to support PE programs in local elementary, middle and high schools. More information about the organization and sponsorship opportunities is available at www.sticks2schools.org or by calling Program Coordinator Breanna Kernan at 925-460-8290.
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