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Raising Money for Scholarships
The World Record Board Break-a-thon was the first big event hosted by Kidz Matter in 2009. The Board Break-a-thon (BBAT) was held in Las Vegas at the Palms Casino on May 17 for the purpose of raising money for college scholarships for the H. U. Lee Foundation (HULF). Over 2,000 people participated, breaking 70,001 boards and raising over $5,000.
In addition to the impact this event had for local Las Vegas participants, Kidz Matter representatives Leland Brandon and Brett Marsh held two training seminars for American Taekwondo Association (ATA) instructors on how to host their own BBAT to support the HULF. The two training events were held in Las Vegas, Nevada and Little Rock, Arkansas. After the trainings, the HULF administration took the lead and encouraged ATA instructors to host BBAT events across the country during Founder’s Month in October. Numerous events were held and raised over $70,000 for 2010 scholarships. |
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Turtles Invade Las Vegas
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles made a trek across the country, celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the original movie. Kidz Matter and ClubSport hosted a fun-filled day at ClubSport Green Valley in July. The event was highlighted by visits and by the Turtles, tours of the Turtle Party Wagon, martial arts demonstrations, free pizza from Pizza Hut, and vendors and exhibits. Money raised from the event was donated to For Kids Now, a non-profit organization supporting autism. |
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Children Training to be Safe
Kidz Matter places child safety as a top priority, working with the nation’s premier child safety training program, Kidz ‘n Power, to bring child abduction awareness and prevention training to as many children as possible. Kidz Matter and ClubSport got together again in September to host a free Kidz ‘n Power Safety seminar for the community. Over 300 children, along with their parents, attended the training session, and received ID kits, train-at-home DVD, and 4-week follow up training course at local martial arts academies.
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Utah Community Event
Kidz Matter representative Adam Banford hosted a Family Festival in Sandy, Utah in October. The goal of the event was to bring the community together through an event filled with healthy family activities, safety and awareness training, educational resources, and fundraising activities for the Special Olympics and the HULF. Over 2,000 people attended the free event and helped raise over $10,000 for charity. |
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Elementary School Promotes Child Safety
Gateway Elementary School in Ridgecrest, California worked with Kidz Matter and the local West Coast ATA academy to bring the Kidz ‘n Power Safety Training program to their school. Every 1st-5th grader participated in a special safety and fitness training session once a week for four weeks to complete the course. The students who completed the program received a Kidz ‘n Power Sergeant Safety DVD to continue their training at home, along with a certificate for a 4-week follow up safety training course at the West Coast ATA academy in Ridgecrest. The entire program was sponsored by Kidz Matter, and at no cost to the school or students. |
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Victory Program Achieving Passing Grade
For two years, the Kidz Matter Victory Program has been a vital part of Steve Schorr Elementary School in Henderson, Nevada. The Victory Program is a living, breathing, daily Life Skill program utilized by the administration and faculty to promote and teach character, citizenship, accountability, and responsibility among their school. The administration credits the program as an integral part of the dramatic improvement in student behavior and test scores. The program has been promoted to other schools, and recently Lorna Kesterson Elementary School has implemented the Victory Program for their school. |
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Families, Food & Fitness
Kidz Matter has been busy the past few months working with elementary schools who are interested in promoting healthy lifestyles for families. Working with PE teachers, the events are an evening of nutrition information and resources; and activity stations where families can participate in simple fitness activities. An average of 200 people attend the events |
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PE Teachers Making a Difference
With budget cuts effecting schools, one of the areas hardest hit has been the PE programs. For the past two years, Kidz Matter has been awarding funding to PE teachers to continue their education and to provide equipment for their schools. The Difference Maker PE Grants are available to any CCSD PE Teacher. Applications are sent to the Community Leadership Development Team, explaining how the teachers plan to use the money to benefit their school’s PE program. The $3,500 grant is divided among the winning applicants. Applications from PE teachers have grown over 400% since the grants were first introduced. |
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Kidz Matter Recognized as Community Partner
The Clark County School District held its annual breakfast in November, and recognized Kidz Matter as an official Community Partner of CCSD. Kidz Matter has worked with CCSD through the Victory Program, Difference Maker PE Grants, and Family Food & Fitness nights. |
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