Indiana Sports Corp, through its Geared For Health: Sports Equipment for Kids program, distributed more than 40,000 new or gently-used items of sporting equipment to 100 Indiana youth-serving organizations who have pre-registered for the event on Wednesday, Oct. 15 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The equipment will benefit approximately 100,000 central Indiana youth.
At Wednesday's distribution, representatives from youth-serving organizations picked up large amounts of sports equipment, including golf clubs, soccer balls, treadmills,baseball gloves, basketballs, cleats, and much more.
Collected items are distributed to nonprofit youth organizations, sports leagues and sports clubs. The program focuses on making sports more accessible to underserved children and encouraging commitment to a healthy lifestyle. It offers a convenient opportunity for local organizations and families to clear out their warehouses and closets while providing a valuable service to keep kids active and healthy. Over the past seven years, the Geared For Health: Sports Equipment for Kids Program has collected more than $2,000,000 in equipment and distributed that equipment for the benefit of more than 240,000 local youth through 260 Indianapolis area youth serving organizations.
WTHR-13 is a Geared For Health Program partner. Jay's Moving Company and Celadon provided trucks to collect and move the equipment for the distribution. The 40,000 items of sports equipment come from donations from the 150 companies who recently participated in the ISC Corporate Challenge, as well as large donations by LIDS.
Pacers guard Rodney Stuckey helped collect donations during the Corporate Challenege at Woodland Bowl on Oct. 20.
Indiana Sports Corp will impact approximately 120,000 central Indiana youth in 2014 through programs such as Geared For Health, the Susan Williams CHAMPS Grant Program, and youth initiatives such as clinics at Indiana Sports Corp events. Earlier this month, the not-for-profit organization launched the Indiana Sports Corp Exchange, an online tool to connect youth-serving organizations with those individuals and companies who have resources to give.