by Jeremy Hunt
Daily Lobo
The summer sports program for children of low-income families is getting help from a local foundation and business.
UNM kept the National Youth Sports Program afloat in April after federal budget cuts threatened its future.
The Gorham Charitable Foundation donated $30,000 to the program.
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Defined Fitness, a local gym, is donating $15,000.
The sports program, which has been at UNM for 36 years, provides sports training for 10- to 15-year-olds.
The program lost more than half its funding to federal budget cuts in 2006, and the funding was completely cut earlier this year.
It was able to continue this summer after a $50,000 donation from UNM.
"The biggest thing was when UNM got that money," said alumna Gary Sanchez, activities director for the program.
Sanchez said most of the program's budget pays the
28-person staff.
The program is smaller this year because of the lack of funding, with 200 children registered compared to an average of about 350, Sanchez said.
"We weren't able to get as many kids," he said. "We never had a cap on the number of kids
we've taken."
The federal government should step up and provide more funding for programs like this, said Mark Gorham, trustee of the Gorham Foundation.
Gorham said the foundation gave the program money after hearing about the budget cuts.
"It's a very worthwhile project for the community" he said. "It involves a lot of financially
disadvantaged kids that are in need of something constructive to do over the summer."
Anything that gets kids to exercise is good, Gorham said.
"We're believers that competitive sports aids in development," he said.
With the obesity epidemic, it's important for children to learn how to take care of themselves, said Anndee Wright-Brown, CEO of Defined Fitness.
Wright-Brown said people talk about childhood obesity, but they're not doing anything to address it.
"We need to do something, but what are people in the community really doing?" she said. "When I heard the funding had been cut, I wanted to do something to
help out."
Defined Fitness and 104.7 the Edge are offering a membership promotion over the summer, Wright-Brown said.
From now until Aug. 27, a three-month membership costs $104.70 and $10 goes to the program.
It is about $15 less than regular membership rates,
Wright-Brown said.
Wright-Brown said the company will continue to support the program and send its staff to
help out.
There is a grim future for
children in the United States if they don't get in shape, she said.
"This up-and-coming generation of youth could possibly be the first generation in history that does not outlive their parents in terms of total age if changes aren't made," she said.
Wright-Brown said there should be a state organization to provide health education for
children.
"The kids whose parents can afford to send their kids to extracurricular activities, that's great, but what about the kids who are poor?" she said. "They aren't provided with the basic information about how to take care of
your body."
