Super Bowl XLIX Legacy Includes More than $2 Million in Donations to Local Nonprofits

Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee Feb. 5, 2015

The Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee, in partnership with The National Football League (NFL) Foundation, has distributed more than $2 million to 27 Arizona non-profit organizations. The broad range of nonprofits was selected to receive funding based on their program’s significant impact on the education, health and wellness of local youth. An estimated 400,000 local kids will be touched by the programs being supported by the Super Bowl XLIX Legacy Grants. The Host Committee partnered with Thunderbirds Charities, APS Foundation, UnitedHealthcare, Salt River Project (SRP), The Arizona Republic, azcentral.com, 12 News and Season for Sharing to select the recipients.

“Super Bowl XLIX was one of the biggest and best events Arizona has ever hosted, with our region rallying to show the world that Arizona is a vibrant and dynamic place. Supporting local non-profits will insure this event has a positive, long-term impact on the community,” said David Rousseau, Chairman of the Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee, which is a private, nonprofit Arizona corporation that drives Arizona’s plan for Super Bowl XLIX and is responsible for the $30 million fundraising goal.

“Every year, the NFL seeks to improve the surrounding communities of the Super Bowl host city and impact the area in a positive way long after the game has gone,” said Anna Isaacson, NFL Vice President of Social Responsibility. The National Football League Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of those touched by the game of football – from players at all levels to communities across the country.

The following are Legacy Grant recipients describing how they will use the funds:

Arizona Foundation for Women will implement the Raising Arizona’s Boys into Men program for coaches and male student-athletes, ages 13-23, in schools located in urban and rural areas of Arizona, including Native American populations.

Arizona Science Center (in partnership with The Arizona Republic, azcentral.com, 12 News and Season for Sharing) will support two projects including a state-of-the-art inflatable and portable planetarium and related programs; and the implementation of Focused Field Trips – one of ASC’s signature student/teacher engagement programs that provides free field trip experiences, teacher workshops and classroom materials for Title I, K-8 schools in Arizona.

Assistance League of Phoenix distributed a new pair of athletic shoes to more than 5,000 youth in need through the Operation School Bell Program.

ASU Foundation for a New American University funds will support a forum and workshop for up to 100 adults who work with local student athletes from middle school through college. The program will focus on the importance of teaching ethics, values and leadership, as well as techniques to effectively achieve this goal.

ASU Preparatory Academy received a newly refurbished athletic field and scoreboard to benefit K-12 students and the local community.

Balsz Elementary School District & Boys and Girls Club of Metro Phoenix (in partnership with Thunderbirds Charities) will purchase and install of a high quality, ADA-compliant play structure, shade cover, security fence and security cameras for the school’s playground in addition to building a new gym for the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Phoenix.

Barrow Neurological Institute funding supports two projects including the placement of certified athletic trainers at several thousand Arizona Interscholastic Association tournament events, ensuring the safety of more than 100,000 high school student-athletes; and direct services for victims of domestic violence.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale funding supports the L.E.A.N. (Lifestyle, Education, Activity and Nutrition) Program at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale serving youth through organized sports, diabetes education and nutrition programming.

Challenger Learning Center of Arizona (in partnership with APS Foundation) will purchase software systems for two state-of-the-art mission scenarios with advanced technological capability, providing a critical component in its two-year overall simulator upgrade project. Additional upgrades include interactive labs, electrical work, labor, supplies and teacher training materials.

City of Phoenix FitPHX will support physical activity and nutrition education for children, ages 10-14, at Phoenix libraries and parks in several underserved neighborhoods. ASU interns studying health will teach nutrition curriculum and lead physical activities.

City of Tempe funding will help the construction of a fitness path in Tempe’s Escalante Park.

Crisis Nursery funding will support the refurbishment of playgrounds at Crisis Nursery, which serves vulnerable children and families throughout the Valley.

The Ecological Restoration Institute and Northern Arizona University (in partnership with SRP) will use the donation to support the protection of water supplies and restoration of forest health in Arizona.

Elevate Phoenix funds will support education programs that provide 4,000 mentor hours to teach, tutor and transport students at five Title I elementary and high schools.

Esperanca, Inc. will implement the “Health with a Latin Flavor” program for youngsters, 8-14 years old, focusing on lessons about nutrition, physical activity and making healthy snacks.

First Things First Foundation funding will support former NFL player Kurt Warner’s foundation, which is dedicated to impacting lives by encouraging everyone that all things are possible when people put “first things first.”

Florence Crittenton of Arizona will support young women in need through college preparatory courses, a Student Success Liaison, sports programs and transportation to sporting events, educational outings and tours of local colleges and universities.

The Larry Fitzgerald First Down Fund will support kids and their families in crisis, as well as health-related organizations that work with families.

Phoenix Indian Center will implement Forward Promise: A Community Partnership that Empowers American Indian Young Men. This unique education module focuses on physical fitness and health, grounded by teaching about traditional American Indian games and sports.

Phoenix Public Library (in partnership with The Arizona Republic, azcentral.com, 12 News and Season for Sharing) will use the donation to support a summer reading program to combat low literacy rates and provide community-based early literacy programming in high need areas of the city.

Playworks Arizona (in partnership with UnitedHealthcare) will provide a full-time coach in 18 Title I elementary schools, engaging more than 13,500 youth in daily physical activity at recess and throughout the day.

Positive Coaching Alliance will use funds to support a two-year Legacy of Positivity program for the Phoenix Union High School District aimed to transform the youth sports culture for the 16-school district. It includes 100 live, interactive character education workshops.

Read On Arizona provides a literacy program that will allow every preschool to 3rd grade student at 40 high-need elementary schools to have access to a digital library for an entire school year. Volunteers also will place books and bookshelves in early childcare sites across the Valley.

Rodel Foundation of Arizona (in partnership with APS Foundation) will create interactive electronic versions of approximately 1,500 mathematical problems across six grade levels of materials. Teachers who utilize the materials will have the flexibility to order lessons in multiple formats to maximize opportunities for interactivity.

Special Olympics Arizona funding will support healthy lifestyle programming through the purchase and distribution of sports equipment, health screening materials and Healthy LEAP educational manuals, which include Healthy Weight and Obesity, Sports Nutrition and Hydration, Exercise and Injury Prevention, Personal Hygiene and Prevention of Tobacco and Alcohol Use.

St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance (in partnership with The Arizona Republic, azcentral.com, 12 News and Season for Sharing) will procure and distribute 700,000 pounds of nutritious food, which will provide more than 58,333 meals for hungry children each month.

UMOM New Day Centers (in partnership with The Arizona Republic, azcentral.com, 12 News and Season for Sharing) will provide case management, food, medical care and other services to help homeless families residing in its Emergency and Extended Shelter overcome their barriers to attaining and maintaining housing.

The Arizona Community Foundation is an Arizona-based 501(c)(3) that facilitates the charitable legacy work done by the NFL Foundation and the Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee.

 

 

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