Children’s Fund Helps Make Youth Baseball Free for Little League
- Children's Fund
- 5 hours ago
- 2 min read
Support from Children's Fund helps to remove financial barriers for little league so more children can experience youth sports.
For many of us, we can look back on playing sports in our youth with fond memories. Maybe it was a particular game, a discovery of a hidden talent, some lifelong friends, or something else entirely. But for many children and families, the monetary barrier to entry for these sports can be hard to overcome, leading some kids to be unable to play their favorite games at all.
Our President & CEO, Cesar Navarrete, related, "As a child, I never had the opportunity to play Little League,” Navarrete said. “Not because I didn’t want to. Believe me, I was a little kid putting my hands through those fences, watching all the kids play. But I knew I couldn’t go home and ask my mom and dad for money to play Little League.”
It is this kind of past experience that fuels our Recreational Scholarship Program, a program designed to help increase accessibility to sports and other recreational activities for children and families who may otherwise be unable to participate.
That day, Children's Fund joined the Ken Hubbs Little League at their 75th Anniversary in Colton and awarded a $26,000 check to the organization. This donation was able to cover the registration fees for every player and ensure their spot this season.
Cesar went on to share, "The reason I do what I do is because I want to make sure that all of our kids in the community have the opportunities that I didn’t have. [...] If you look around, it’s not just one group,” he said. “It’s a collection of community organizations. Government is here. Nonprofits are here. It’s a collection of people who are here to inspire our kids and make sure they have the support they need to grow into amazing people and one day give back.”
We are so excited for the players and parents to be able to enjoy the season without this financial worry and wish the best for each of them out on the field.
This year, through a partnership with our San Bernardino County Public Defender, San Bernardino County Probation Department, and the San Bernardino County Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council, we have sponsored over 300 children with recreational and extracurricular scholarships.
To make a difference in the lives of children through programs like our recreational and extracurricular scholarships, please consider visiting our DONATION PAGE and making a contribution.