Laureus US funding allows National Coaching Programme to expand to new U.S. Cities
New Orleans, September 30, 2013
The Laureus Sport for Good Foundation USA has received further funding from Mercedes Benz USA to improve the lives of young people through the power of sports.
This now means MBUSA has donated $2m to Laureus that will go toward the training and placement of 400 coaches in sports development projects in underprivileged neighborhoods in 15 U.S. cities through Up2Us’s groundbreaking national mentoring program, Coach Across America (CAA).
The announcement was made at an event with Laureus World Sports Academy Chairman Edwin Moses, and Academy Member Marcus Allen, in New Orleans alongside MBUSA representatives including President and CEO Steve Cannon at a sport for development program called Youth Run NOLA (YRNOLA).
Marcus, a Hall of Fame Running Back, said: “"All the coaches I had were part of the village that helped me grow up. I was lucky enough to have great parents, but I also had programs and coaches that made sure I was on the straight and narrow. I like supporting after-school activities because they give children the possibility of having a role model like one who helped me when I was growing-up. It is an opportunity for kids to get off the streets and into programs that not only will help them grow, but get them healthier as well.”
This funding adds to the $1.3 million funded to Laureus USA to train and place 250 coaches in five U.S. cities: Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Miami and New Orleans. The new funding will expand the program into 10 additional U.S. cities, including Boston, San Francisco, Denver, Philadelphia and Seattle, bringing the total number of Laureus-funded CAA coaches in launch cities to 400.
Besides adding new cities, Laureus USA is also using these funds to expand its investment in current cities. In NOLA, the program will now support the training and placement of 30 CAA coaches in 18 afterschool sports programs, benefitting 4,048 youth. This represents a more than $500,000 investment in the community and the creation of new jobs for 18-24 year olds in a city that shows a 23 percent unemployment rate for this age group. The communities supported in the Greater New Orleans Area are: Jefferson Parish, Gentilly, Marrero, Gretna, Algiers, New Orleans East and Broadmoor. The ongoing commitment of Laureus USA and MBUSA to New Orleans is establishing sustainable social improvement within the region.
