This is a great cause. Thanks for the share Alan. Is there a deadline on this? I didn't happen to see it while glancing at the donation page.

My bad. I thought the link showed went to the program too. This fully explains the program that Jeffrey works with. With so many school districts cut physical education, the arts and music, this is a very valuable and proven endeavor. Once fellow Bobcatattackers get to $250, I'll match it. That will get us half way there.

So, this is an after school program to fill the void of budget cuts?

Thanks, Alan, for posting this. I appreciate it.



Good question! We work with elementary schools across the country to provide regular opportunities for safe and healthy physical play every day. Our primary vehicle for this is recess. Schools partnering with our full-time model have an on-site coach on school every day to facilitate recess, play-based lessons to teach critical social-emotional learning, and provide youth leadership development for the older kids in the school. There is an after school component (leadership training as well as sports leagues), but most of the programming is done during the school day and we are in no way a substitute for PE.

Nationally, we've set an ambitious aim: Serving 3.5 million kids by 2020. That's about 10% of the kids in the country. In order to achieve that, we need a lot of help. If you've looked at the page already, I thank you for giving us a chance to speak to you. We have big plans here in Houston; we want to be partnering with 50 or more schools in the next couple years. Ad giacomo noted, budget cuts mean schools can't afford the full cost of our programming, even though we're quite efficient with our dollars. So we ask a school to pay for 40-50% of the cost and we raise the rest. That where events like these come in, to fill in those gaps.

Please, if you have more questions, I'm happy to answer.

I just wanted to publicly thank everyone who donated and who looked at the page and maybe learned a little bit more about Playworks. It is appreciated!

So I went on vacation for a week and fully expected to return to see the fundraising thermometer at or above the $1000 goal. As Gomer Pyle would say "surprise, surprise, surprise!" Unfortunately the surprise wasn't a good one. The thermometer hasn't moved. What better way to start the Memorial Day weekend than with a "feel good feeling" of helping children who probably aren't as fortunate as we are or our children. Any amount will do but let's get this thing to $1000.

https://donate.playworks.org/fundraise?fcid=977781