Twelve youth-serving organizations throughout Indiana have been selected as Susan Williams CHAMPS (Champions in Life) Grant recipients, awarded annually by Indiana Sports Corp.
In September of 2012, Indiana Sports Corp renamed the CHAMPS Grant Program to the Susan Williams CHAMPS Grant program. The renaming recognizes the significant contributions of Susan Williams, who retired as the president of Indiana Sports Corp after more than seven years in the position. At Indiana Sports Corp, Williams made impacting the lives of youth a priority, helping to grow the number of youth impacted by Sports Corp programming to more than 168,000 youth in 2012 alone.
Susan Williams CHAMPS Grants support organizations that provide underserved youth with the opportunity to participate in sports, fitness activities and life skills programming. The Susan Williams CHAMPS Grants are funded by the net proceeds of the annual Youthlinks Indiana Charity Golf Tournament.
“It is an important part of the Indiana Sports Corp mission to support organizations that teach life skills and promote fitness through sports,” said Allison Melangton, Indiana Sports Corp president. “From a pool of worthy applicants, we are excited to provide grants to these 12 deserving organizations and their exceptional youth programming. I would like to thank the CHAMPS Grant Committee, those companies who continue to support our Youthlinks event, and organizations throughout our great state who impact the lives of our youth each and every day.”
This year, grants have been awarded to organizations serving youth in the following Indiana counties: Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Lake, Marion, and Orange. In order to be eligible to receive a grant, a company located in the applicant’s county must participate in the Youthlinks Indiana Charity Golf Tournament with sponsorship or the purchase of a foursome.
Since 1988, Youthlinks Indiana has generated more than $6.4 million that have been reinvested to support various youth sports programs and initiatives. A total of 221 youth-serving organizations have received nearly $2 million in CHAMPS Grants since 1988. This year’s Susan Williams CHAMPS Grants are divided among 12 organizations that serve 4,692 youth, a more than 50 percent increase of youth impacted from 2012.
The 26th Annual Youthlinks Indiana Charity Golf Tournament, hosted by Indiana Sports Corp, tees off on Monday, June 24 at the Sagamore Golf Club of Noblesville, Ind. In an exciting new format for the event, the tournament will consist of morning and afternoon shotgun tee times. Teams will compete in a scramble-style tournament over the 18-hole course. Youthlinks Indiana is presented by CNO Financial Group.
Sagamore Golf Club was designed by PGA Tour legend Jack Nicklaus and previously was a Top Ten Best New Private Courses in America by Golf Digest. For more information and to register for this year’s Youthlinks Indiana, contact Melissa Caito at (317) 237-5039 or Melissa.Caito@IndianaSportsCorp.com. Additional event information can be found at IndianaSportsCorp.com.
2013 Susan Williams CHAMPS Grant Recipients
Agape Therapeutic Riding Resources – 2013 Summer Adventures Program
Students of Agape Therapeutic Riding Resources are able to attain physical, mental, and emotional benefits through equine assisted activities and therapies. The Susan Williams CHAMPS Grant will support two initiatives in the Summer Adventures Program at Agape impacting approximately 375 youth: Adventures on the Farm and Special Olympics Training. For students in Kindergarten through 6th grade, Adventures on the Farm will partner with summer camp providers in Indianapolis to provide youth the opportunity to visit the farm and participate in horseback riding, as well as learn about making positive decisions and healthy choices. The Special Olympics training program will partner with Hamilton County Special Olympics to train student-athletes with physical disabilities for summer competition.
Boys & Girls Club – LeGore Club – Climb Up To Fitness Program
The Susan Williams CHAMPS Grant will assist the LeGore Boys and Girls Club in implementing a Rock Climbing and Traversing program. In Climbing Up to Fitness, the climbers advance across a wall horizontally instead of vertically with their feet no higher than two to three feet off the floor. As an opportunity for members to benefit from participating in sports in a new and exciting way, this program will be open to all ages and promote fitness in a fun environment to an estimated 120 youth.
Boys & Girls Club – Francis Scott Key – Bullseye for Peace
The implementation of an archery program, Bullseye for Peace, accompanies the existing program at the Boys and Girls Club Francis Scott Key that focuses on conflict resolution with 80 youth. One day a week will consist of interactive classroom theory with the current conflict resolution curriculum being taught at the club and will go together with an additional day a week using the non-traditional sport of archery to reiterate and expand the curriculum. This curriculum will focus on team-building, accepting diversity and allow youth to learn a new activity together.
Camptown – Experience Nature
Experience Nature will provide an outdoor experience to 700 students. Partner organizations will have the opportunity to choose a day hike, a day canoe trip, a camp day, a teambuilding day, or a week of backpacking as enrichment to their summer program. Each Camptown program provides an opportunity for youth to experience the benefits of nature. Youth unplug from electronics and plug into nature. Students learn about themselves and their world by actively engaging in nature with their peers. In a Camptown program, youth will hike, canoe, camp, backpack and explore while learning essential life skills.
Day Nursery – Day Nursery Summer Health & Water Safety Program
The Day Nursery Summer Health and Water Safety Program promotes healthy physical activities and nutrition for roughly 182 children enrolled at its seven centers. Programs include: six weeks of water safety/swim instruction for youth 4-6 years old at the IU Natatorium and a focus on healthy nutrition complete with fresh local produce and lessons about healthy nutrition. Day Nursery utilizes the Swim America program which is a national learn-to-swim model and is designed to introduce water safety and swimming to children in a safe controlled environment. This program is often the first exposure to structured water safety and swimming experiences for these children.
Girl Scouts of Central Indiana – Camp Dellwood Fitness Program
Each year, more than 35,000 girls in Central Indiana participate in Girl Scouts. The Susan Williams CHAMPS Grant will help fund a fitness trail at Camp Dellwood that will be an integrated fitness opportunity for every girl who attends a program at camp. The trail will be incorporated into the summer day camp program, which serves at least 1,700 girls annually. Additionally, it will be developed as a stand-alone or complimentary opportunity for all troops, groups, and individuals who visit the camp. Camp Dellwood has over 10,000 girls participate in a learning opportunity there each year and the goal is for at least half of them take the time to use the new fitness trail. Once the trail is installed, it will remain open – weather permitting – throughout the year.
Happy Hollow Children’s Camp – Equestrian Program
The equestrian program at Happy Hollow Children’s Camp is the most popular sport during each camp. Throughout the summer of 2013, the camp is expecting to serve 700 economically disadvantaged and special needs children from the Indianapolis metro area. The equestrian program not only takes children on trial rides, but also teaches children how to groom, tack, and care for a horse. While participating in the equestrian program, children will make improvements in problem solving, teamwork, sensory integration, self-confidence, self-esteem, and trust. Children will also learn the anatomy of the horse and care of a horse.
Indianapolis Gaelic Athletic Association – Youth Program
The Susan Williams CHAMPS Grant will provide financial resources to implement a youth program benefitting 50 children as an expansion of involvement for the overall club which provides opportunities for boys and girls, men and women to learn and compete in Gaelic Sports in the Indianapolis area. These sports have seen rapid growth across the United States and especially within the club in Indianapolis. A vibrant program for adults 18 and older is currently offered and regularly works with Purdue University’s and Indiana University’s collegiate programs. The youth participants can continue on for as long as they wish and in addition to providing healthy activities for children, it also improves the college and adult level players for years to come.
Indy Parks Foundation – Swim Indy
Swim Indy teaches youth from low-income neighborhoods how to swim for lifelong health and safety. The target audiences for this program are 180 youth who attend Indy Parks’ six-week summer programming at the neighborhood park locations. During Swim Indy classes, the youth participants will learn how to swim, increase their knowledge of water safety, and be able to complete different levels of swimming (beginner, intermediate or advanced). The program will run for six weeks and every park will be scheduled for one two-hour session each week. Youth will engage in either water safety, fundamentals of swimming, or advanced swimming technique during class.
Jameson Camp – Challenge Course Program
Jameson Camp has a Challenge Course program that includes a team-building area, a climbing wall, a zipline, and a high ropes course that is 40 feet off of the ground. The program is a great platform for team building, leadership training, and provides a unique outdoor experience to the low-income, urban youth that are served there. The Susan Williams CHAMPS Grant will assist in funding an extension on to the Challenge Course that would connect the high ropes course to the zipline. The extension would consist of an additional platform, an 80 foot cable and a pulley system so individuals could slowly glide from the high ropes course to the zipline. Funding will also help purchase safety gear to be used by an expected 450 participants.
John H. Boner Community Center – EDGE Excellence, Discovery, and Growth through Education
The Susan Williams CHAMPS Grant will assist financially in the implementation of the EDGE Endurance program that incorporates several fitness and wellness activities to keep youth healthy and active throughout the summer. EDGE Endurance will expand the variety and the amount of new programs. With EDGE Endurance, JHBCC will offer youth cycling safety and training, swimming, yoga, gymnastics, martial arts, and Zumba. The sports offered will expose the Near Eastside youth to different ways to stay healthy while also teaching life skills like teamwork and sportsmanship. JHBCC will partner with many community organizations to assist in facilitating activities and providing group instruction. All activities will be offered for a minimum of 60 minutes per day for six weeks, totaling over 30 hours of physical activity for 105 youth.
Westminster Neighborhood Ministries – WNM K-8 Programs
Westminster began expanding programs to include a comprehensive “healthy life-style” component to introduce students to low-cost exercise options that can become lifetime habits. In addition, healthier meal options including fresh fruits and vegetables were introduced while reducing processed foods and sugary snacks. The Susan Williams CHAMPS Grant will help fund Westminster’s work with the School of Social Work at IUPUI to conduct mental health needs assessments working with 50 K-8 program participants. Healthy Initiative Leaders will also be hired to work with program participants as well as staff to facilitate and develop the components of the program including instruction in the community garden, cooking classes to teach healthy meal preparation, and wellness practices. Physical fitness activities will continue to be offered in the sport of swimming, walking, yoga, martial arts, and dance.
