Recognizing that community service helps promote responsibility and character in young people, TeamUp4Community continued in its partnership with Metrx and NBTY Helping Hands in the “Spring Into Action Sports Challenge,” an interactive contest that challenged our Long Island Youth Athletes to partake in community service this Spring season. This challenge encouraged community service among student athletes between the ages of 6 and 24. Three prizes totaling $5,000 in sports grants will be awarded in May 2014. “NBTY Helping Hands & Metrx are very proud to team up with the W20 Foundation in support of their Team Up 4 Community program. It’s an inspiring program that allows athletes to win in their local communities by taking action and volunteering to help those in need. “ Jim Flaherty Director NBTY Helping Hands
The interactive contest, which ran from April 1, 2014 to April 30, 2014, required participants to share a short video of their community service work or their team’s community service work that is posted on Team Up 4 Community’s Website. The top 10 videos with the highest number of votes was posted on the www.TeamUp4Community.org website for viewers to vote on. The voting took place from May 2 to May 4th, 2014. The winners were announced on Monday, May 5th.
The video with the most votes, receiving a $3,000 sports grant is Longwood High School Student Athletes for their participation in Read Across America ; the second-most voted video, receiving a $1,500 sports grant is Long Island Lutheran HIgh School Athletes for their work in feeding the hungry this Spring; and the third-most voted video, receiving a $500 sports grant is Brentwood High School Student Athletes for their volunteer work in cleaning up their community this Spring. TU4C is also very excited to present Brentwood’s Athletes for their participation in community service work through both challenges, the President’s Volunteer Service Award. The award, which recognizes Americans of all ages who have volunteered significant amounts of their time to serve their communities and country, was granted to Brentwood Athletics by the Youth Service America (YSA) program on behalf of President Barack Obama. All three winners videos can be viewed at http://teamup4community.org/spring-video-challenge-2014-finalists
The “Spring Into Action Sports Challenge” successfully completed submissions totally 12,605 hours of community service work performed by Long Island Athletes between March 1, 2014 to April 30th, 2014. The value of their time served in the community is valued at over $91,386 given back in service.
This year Team Up 4 Community has hosted two Community Service Challenges sponsored by Metrx and NBTY Helping Hands. Through their support and generous financial backing, TU4C has recorded 125 community service projects completed by our L.I. Youth athletes
with close to 6,000 athletes participating in 32,202 hours of community service work ! This is valued at $233,464 given back in service to our L.I. communities this year.
Retired New York Islander Hockey Player Steve Webb created project Team Up 4 Community through his W20 Foundation. The foundation is dedicated to promoting social responsibility and community giveback through athletics. By highlighting different types of community service, young athletes will learn life skills that in turn increase their self-confidence, promote responsibility and independence, and help build strong character. Community services performed by youth strengthens young peoples’ senses of civic engagement and community and helps them to achieve their educational, developmental and social goals.
“Similar to athletics, volunteering helps build character and self esteem in young people, while simultaneously helping make a difference in the lives of others,” said Steve Webb, Team Up 4 Community Founder and President. “We were hoping The Video Sports Challenges would go viral and quickly reach the thousands of our young Long Island athletes who can help make a difference. The contest’s viewing and voting components for friends and family will surely make the contests entertaining for all!”
Communities are the backbone of Long Island, and its neighborhoods, organizations, teams, schools and friends join together to collectively make a difference. TU4C builds and strengthens communities and individual characters by promoting social responsibility and community giveback.
