Article Contributed on: 5/12/2009 11:48:50 AM
Organizers of a local charitable foundation hope to provide a big boost for youth sports programs in New Orleans, a city still grappling with the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina.
Denver-based nonprofit Sports For A Cause helped ship off more than 1,500 Little League baseball uniforms to the New Orleans School District this week. The caps, jerseys and equipment, donated by XP Apparel, will help replenish those that were lost in the August 2005 storm, said
Brandon Tosti, founder of Sports For a Cause.
"I want to give back however I can," Tosti said. "I can't build 50,000 homes, but I can help these kids get sports equipment."
Tosti, director of business development for Kroenke Sports Enterprises, spearheaded the effort after reading a Sports Illustrated article on the poor condition of playgrounds and sports facilities in New Orleans two years after the hurricane.
A rabid sports enthusiast, Tosti decided to pick up the phone to see how he could help.
"They said they needed equipment," Tosti said. "I felt like there wasn't a centralized process or system in place to help these kids get what they need. I felt like if I could help piece that together somehow, people at all different levels could make an impact."
The nonprofit is looking to build partnerships with other sporting goods distributors like XP Apparel to help pitch in for the cause. Athletic suppliers and other companies often store away old promotional items such as T-shirts, water bottles and hand towels that could be donated for local sports programs, Tosti said.
"Hopefully, other companies will join us in making a difference in children's lives in New Orleans, as well as other cities across the United States," he said.
Volunteers with Sports For a Cause also hope to regularly make an annual trip to the city's recovery district to help with volunteer efforts.
Last October, Tosti and four other volunteers helped build a new playground at New Orleans' Carver Elementary School. Though there still remains a great need for similar efforts at other schools in the city's so-called Recovery School District, it's still a step in the right direction, he said.
"I think there's a lot of people who want to get involved, but they just don't know where to begin," Tosti said. "I think sports helps strike a balance in society. It opens a lot of doors for people."