As our community practices Stay-at-Home policies, it’s a great time to clear home storage of unused sports gear to compile for local nonprofit giving to kids to access more sports – and diverting from landfills
Scheduling of pick-ups and drop-off locations will be accessible once local ordinances are lifted
Monumental Sports & Entertainment is proud to announce Leveling the Playing Field (LPF) as our Social Impact partner for the month of April. LPF gives underprivileged children the opportunity to enjoy the mental and physical benefits of youth sports participation through the donation of used and excess sporting equipment to programs and schools serving low-income communities. As part of this partnership, the Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation will provide a $50,000 grant to LPF to support their mission.
LPF works to remove barriers in accessing sporting equipment so that kids can test their talents across different athletic pursuits and foster life-long healthy habits. They solicit donations from the public and process all gear through local warehouses located in Silver Spring and Baltimore, Md. By diverting from landfills, LPF can repurpose much-needed equipment for municipal and school program use where funding may not always be adequate or equal for all children.
Monumental Sports and LPF produced a promotional video to inspire community donations – watch here.
“A child’s athletic curiosity should never be restricted because of lack of access to appropriate sporting equipment, and Leveling the Playing Field works tirelessly to narrow that gap,” said Anu Rangappa, Vice President, Social Impact, Monumental Sports & Entertainment. “We are so proud to partner with LPF throughout April and encourage our fans to consolidate equipment for donation to give kids a chance to play and reduce unnecessary waste.”
Leveling the Playing Field has already had a significant impact on communities within the Greater Washington region with more than 125,000 items collected and distributed to more than 100,000 kids, providing a savings of more than $1.5 million to families, school athletic departments and municipal recreational programs.
After working in youth sports, college athletics and professional football, Max Levitt founded LPF in 2013 in response to witnessing the growing inequity between those who can afford to play sports and those who cannot. He also realized the prominent role the cost of sporting goods played in widening that gap. Recognizing the volume of equipment that goes to waste from elementary school-aged children and even professional sports teams, he developed a food bank-type approach for sports equipment.
“Leveling the Playing Field was created because of our strong belief in the value of participating in sports both for a child’s physical wellbeing, as well as their mental health. So many skills can be learned on the playing field – from teamwork and work ethic, to accountability and confidence,” said Max Levitt, executive director and founder of LPF. “Unfortunately, the rising costs of participating has made it increasingly difficult for students in need to get off the sidelines. We are so grateful to Monumental Sports for their longtime partnership in helping us to engage the local youth sports community. Their continued support has allowed us to keep our warehouse full of equipment throughout the year so we can ensure that every local student has the ability to get off the sidelines and into the game!”
As local residents in the Greater Washington region continue to follow stay-at-home policies, many are utilizing this time to clear out home storage such as closets, attics, basements, garages and sheds. MSE is encouraging the community to donate any new and/or gently used items such as balls, rackets, bats, protective pads, helmets, etc. Consolidating items now can ease the donation process once local officials and health experts deem it advisable.
For information on how to schedule a pick up/drop off or to find shipping locations, please visit www.levelingtheplayingfield.org. You may also CLICK HERE to support LPF by ordering an item off their Amazon wish list.
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About Monumental Sports & Entertainment:
Monumental Sports & Entertainment is America’s leading sports and entertainment family. Our people, players, teams and events bring excitement and joy to millions. We invest and innovate to consistently raise the game so we can deliver extraordinary experiences that will inspire and unite our community, our fans and our people. To learn more, please visit www.monumentalsports.com.
About Leveling the Playing Field:
Leveling the Playing Field is focused on delivering the opportunity to enjoy the mental and physical benefits of youth sports to underserved children. Through active solicitation of used and excess sporting equipment, it warehouses and sorts donations throughout the greater Washington region. The delivery of equipment to municipal and school programs serving low-income communities saves landfill space as well as program-funds, ensuring lower registration fees, expanded scholarship programs and enhanced athletic program offerings for more children.
