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More than 46,000 Youngsters to Benefit from Grants to Youth Sports Organizations by the LA84 Foundation

LOS ANGELES – January 25, 2012 – The LA84 Foundation announced today $1,512,530 in grants to support 28 youth sports programs in Southern California benefitting more than 46,000 boys and girls. Since 1985, the Foundation which is the legacy of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, has spent more than $200 million to carry out its mission to serve youth through sport and promote an understanding of the role of sport in society. This is more than twice the original endowment ($93 million) with which the Foundation was created. Read about the January 2012 Grantees

New Dreamfield at Toberman Recreation Center

Toberman Recreation Center Dodger Dreamfield

On Monday December 19, 2011 the LA84 Foundation in partnership with the Dodgers Dream Foundation and the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, dedicated a new Dodgers Dreamfield at Toberman Recreation Center in Los Angeles. The ceremony attended by youngsters and members of the community was held under the lights.

LA84 Foundation Vice President Grants & Programs Patrick Escobar was joined at the ceremony by Howard Sunkin, Senior Vice President, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Dodgers Dream Foundation Director, Los Angeles City Councilmember District 1 Ed. P

Reyes and Sophia Pina-Cortez, Superintendent of Recreation, Los Angeles City Recreation and Parks. Read More.

2011 Run 4 Fun Festival

Girls' startline Run 4 Fun

The culminating event for the LA84 Foundation’s Run 4 Fun program was held on Saturday, December 10 at Griffith Park. More than 1, 220 boys and girls from 38 middle schools participated in age-group races over a 2-K challenging cross-country course.

This was the 25th year of the Foundation’s Run 4 Fun program. The 10-week program is offered to middle schools in Los Angeles County. More than 5,000 youngsters at 39 middle schools took advantage of this free program. Read more and view image gallery.

2011 BTB/LA84 Foundation Flag Football Finals

Emerson Middle School, the winning catch!On Saturday, December 10 the BTB/LA84 Foundation Middle School Flag Football District-Wide Finals were held at Marina Del Rey Middle School. Four girls and four boys teams that had made it through rigorous regional qualifying tournaments in the last couple of weeks took part.

The boys’ championship was decided on the last play of the game. The team from Emerson Middle School won a well-played contest with Hollenbeck Middle School. Portola Middle School edged out Byrd Middle School for third place.

The girls’ team from Nightingale Middle School bested out Porter Middle School for the Girls Championship. The team from Lawrence Middle School came in third and Burroughs Middle School placed fourth.

Congratulations to all of the coaches and players who made the season a great success!
See the image gallery of the 2011 BTB/LA84 Flag Football District-wide Finals

Legacy of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games Continues to
Benefit Southern California Youngsters

LOS ANGELES – October 19, 2011 – The LA84 Foundation, the legacy of the 1984 Olympic Games, has awarded $430,027 in grants to support 15 youth sports programs throughout Southern California.  Since inception, the Foundation has given back more than $200 million to the communities that supported the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

“We believe that every youngster in Southern California who chooses should have the opportunity to be involved in sports,” said Anita L. DeFrantz, President of the LA84 Foundation.   “Place of residence, physical ability and financial resources should not dictate whether a girl or boy plays sports.  Our grants to organizations help to level the playing field so that boys and girls can get in the game.”  Read about the October 2011 Grantees

New Board Members John F. Chavez and Walter F. Ulloa

LOS ANGELES – October 19, 2011 – John F. Chavez a seasoned banking and finance leader and Walter F. Ulloa a long-time executive in the Spanish-language media industry in the United States have been unanimously elected to the board of directors of the LA84 Foundation. “Mr. Chavez and Mr. Ulloa understand the challenges and opportunities faced by families and businesses in Southern California. Their skills and experience in banking and the media will enhance our ability to carry out our mission of increasing sports opportunities for youngsters in the area,” said Bob Graziano, Chair of the LA84 Foundation. Read more


LA84 Connie Cycling Kids Ride and Win at Elite Nationals

Kate Wilson, a rider with the LA84 Connie Cycling Program, won a gold medal in the women’s Madison event at the USA Cycling 2011 Elite Track Championships. The championships, held September 28 – October 2 in Carson, Calif., also featured exhibition races by young riders from the LA84 Connie Cycling Program and a presentation about the program to spectators on the biggest night of the championships. Read more
Kate Wilson (left) in Madison finish
Photo: Pat Benson		 LA84 Connie Cycling

New LA84 Foundation SCTA/NJT Video

  The LA84 Foundation SCTA/NJTL Youth Tennis Program is featured in a new YouTube video.

This program offered by the Southern California Tennis Association, with funding from the LA84 Foundation, provides boys and girls with the opportunity to learn and play tennis at local parks throughout Southern California.

 

A Message from LA84 Foundation President Anita DeFrantz:
Saving Los Angeles High School Sports

  

Save our sportsWe all know that the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is facing a $640 million deficit for the next school year.  One cost-cutting measure proposed by the district was a $1.4 million reduction in coaches’ stipends that would have eliminated many sports in 2010-2011.

With 35,000 student-athletes, competing in 14 sports at the 72 LAUSD high schools, the LA84 Foundation Board could not stand by idly and watch as high school sports opportunities evaporated. Read more

New Images

Summer Swim 2007Photo Galleries and Videos.
   2011 Galleries:  Run 4 Fun  Flag Football  Water Polo  Swimming
                                 Synchronized Swimming  Diving
                                 '11 Soccer   '11 Softball   '11 Basketball   LA84 Campus
       
   Video Gallery:  Legacy of the 1984 Olympic Games.   Sports In My Life. 
                              The Magic of Sports. 
 


LA84 Foundation: Legacy of the 1984 Olympic Games

 

Alumni of the 1984 Olympic Games celebrated the 25th anniversary of the landmark event on July 18 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The LA84 Foundation featured prominently in the celebration, which included a screening of the Foundation latest video “LA84 Foundation: Legacy of the 1984 Olympic Games.”

Select play button

 

Nike Grind

NikeGrind2The LA84 Foundation and Nike are working in partnership to create new playing surfaces at sports facilities in Los Angeles.  Nike Grind, recycled rubber left over from the manufacture of Nike shoes, is a key component in the resurfacing project.  Learn more in this new video.

A Legacy of the 1984 Olympic Games

RaferJohnsonThe LA84 Foundation is a direct legacy of the highly successful 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. The 1984 Games defied expectations, featuring stirring ceremonies, memorable sports performances, teams from a record-number 140 nations, innovative designs, thousands of dedicated volunteers and smooth-running logistics. The Games also produced a surplus of $232.5 million. The United States Olympic Committee received 60 percent of the surplus to fund athlete development programs. The remaining 40 percent provided the endowment for the LA84 Foundation, which to date has invested more than $185 million in youth sports in Southern California. Learn more about the 1984 Olympic Games and the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee.


  

LA84 Foundation Sports Library at Los Angeles Archives Bazaar
  LA84 Foundation's Sport Library Table at the 2011 Archive Bazaar 

The LA84 Foundation Sports Library was among 81 exhibitors at the 6th Annual Los Angeles Archives Bazaar, October 22, at the University of Southern California’s Edward L. Doheny Jr. Memorial Library.
The exhibit highlighted the LA84 Foundation’s rich collection of sports history. It included a photographic slide show of Southern California sports history, video footage from Los Angeles Dodgers and Hollywood Stars baseball games, highlight videos of 1932 and 1984 Olympic Games, and videos about the Foundation’s youth sports programs.

This marked the fifth year that the LA84 Foundation Sports Library participated in the event.

Many people who stopped at the LA84 Foundation table recalled fond, exciting and fun memories of the 1984 Olympic Games. Many others learned more about the LA84 Foundation and the Sports Library collection.

Archives Bazaar, LA84 Foundation Sports Library table.

Among the hundreds of visitors to the LA84 table was one young woman who proudly noted that she and her Expo Park teammates won the Advanced Trio division in synchronized swimming, as part of the Foundation’s 2011 Summer Swim Festival.

Other exhibitors included the Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan Presidential libraries, Japanese American National Museum, Autry National Center Museum of the American West and Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences’ Film Archive.

The bazaar was organized by L.A. as Subject, a network of more than 200 individuals and institutions dedicated to preserving and improving access to archives and collections that document the history of Los Angeles’ diverse peoples, languages, cultures, and geography.

 Archives Bazaar Exhibitor in Doheny Library. 
   USC's Doheny Library Reference Room