Somerville, Mass. - Beloved New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski - aka "Gronk" - will join Good Sports in delivering a variety of football gear and equipment to the Somerville Pop Warner youth football program on September 16th.
The donation, which is funded by money raised by the Gronk Nation Youth Foundation's 2014 Boston Marathon Team, will provide a much-needed influx of new equipment and apparel to the Pop Warner team, including: new blocking sleds, blocking dummies, football helmets, shoulder pads, and cheerleading warm-up suits, among other items. Media are welcome to attend the event, planned for 6 p.m. on Tuesday, September 16th, at 219 Broadway in Somerville. Gronk, his father Gordy, and his brother Dan will attend and many of the program's 200 young players will be on-site to try out the new gear and have the chance to meet one of their idols.
"Growing up with football in our lives helped get me and my brothers to where we are today," says Rob Gronkowski. "My family and I are pumped to provide the same kind of opportunity to the kids of Somerville with this donation."
"Good Sports is once again excited to partner with one of Boston's great local athletes to improve kids' lives through sports," Good Sports CEO Melissa Harper said. "Through this partnership, we have now had the opportunity to impact two high-quality youth football programs. Somerville Pop Warner has shown a commitment to engaging the youth of their community in structured physical activity, and we are thrilled to support their continued success. With partners like Gronk, we are able to extend our mission and help thousands of kids in need each year."
The Somerville Pop Warner Football and Cheer program has maintained a strong presence in the community for 50 years. Using football and cheer as a vessel for teaching leadership development, teamwork, and discipline, the program unites boys and girls from across the city. Somerville Pop Warner is committed to keeping youth sports in its proper prospective, emphasizing a fun atmosphere, personal growth, and a sense of team unity that extends beyond the football field. While the program runs practices and games from August to November, they keep kids engaged throughout the year. This ensures that their participants are staying involved and on track academically in their free time. Player safety coach, Robert Torino, views the overwhelming sense of team unity as the best part of the program. As a coach and a parent of Somerville Pop Warner players, he sees the camaraderie evolve from that of teammates, to that of true friends.
The Somerville Pop Warner program was a perfect fit for the Gronk Nation Youth Foundation, which strives to inspire and empower youth by supporting their involvement in sports, community activities, education and fitness. The foundation is committed to providing youth with the tools to follow their dreams and achieve success.
ABOUT THE GRONK NATION YOUTH FOUNDATION:
The Gronk Nation Youth Foundation is an organization dedicated to inspiring and supporting our youth to reach their maximum potential by empowering them to be positively involved in sports, community activities, education, and fitness. The Foundation's mission is to help our youth stay actively involved in school and sports and provide them with the tools needed to help them follow their dreams and live a happy and more successful life.
ABOUT GOOD SPORTS:
Good Sports helps lay the foundation for healthy, active lifestyles by providing athletic equipment, footwear and apparel to disadvantaged young people nationwide. By partnering with sporting goods manufacturers, Good Sports gets crucial equipment to kids who need it most, getting them in the game. Since 2003, Good Sports has provided more than $11 million worth of equipment to 1,600 youth programs, impacting more than 950,000 kids.
