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We Are Thankful for Our Member Athletes

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We Are Thankful for Our Member Athletes

Posted: Updated: by bsanchez

November has come to a close and Thanksgiving has passed and yet we are still reflecting on how thankful we are for all of our wonderful member athletes. This year we highlighted a few of those athletes on social media as a special thanks. These individuals went above and beyond in giving their time on several occasions this year and some even got their whole team involved! We truly appreciate everyone that gave back this year and are looking forward to continuing that positive momentum in 2016!

Athletes for Active Schools Recap

Posted: Updated: by bcerecero

It is our pleasure to report on the successful turnout for our Athletes for Active Schools week, with so many of you getting involved. We appreciate all of the generous support and participation, whether it was speaking to a school about the importance of physical activity or joining us on social media from around the country!

Some of the ways you got involved include:

  • School visits: Professional and Olympic athletes from over 15 different sports visited elementary and middle schools around the country, inspiring students to pursue active lifestyles. Their message– the importance of physical activity. Some of the notable athletes who visited schools include Track & Field Olympian Sanya Richards-Ross, Portland Timbers Professional Soccer Player Nat Borches, and Olympic Skier Emily Cook.
  • #5forPE Video Challenge: We were thrilled with the support for the #5forPE video challenge, which helped spread the word about the campaign and motivate friends and family to get active. To complete the challenge, individuals recorded themselves doing five exercises and nominating five friends to do the same. Two of our athletes, professional soccer players Heather O’Reilly and Yael Averbuch, filmed their #5forPE video together at an active school with students.
  • Twitter Chat: Our #ActiveSchools Twitter chat fostered a discussion on the importance of physical education and activity, which generated over 1.5 million impressions! This could not have been possible without the support and commitment of our partners on the chat, including Let’s Move! Active Schools, Alliance For A Healthier Generation, Partnership For A Healthier America, Presidents Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition, and Shape America. In case you missed it, a recap of the conversation can be found here.

Thank you again to all the athletes, supporters, and partners for participating and for helping us elevate this important topic and campaign to greater heights!

AFH Staff

JJ Hoover visits with veterans twice while in Washington, DC.

Posted: Updated: by bcerecero

When the Cincinnati Reds came to play the Washington Nationals this week, Reds pitcher JJ Hoover visited more than just Nationals Stadium. During the short time he had in the DC area, JJ had two long visits with veterans and their families.

On Tuesday, JJ visited Walter Reed National Military Medical Center where he met one-on-one with wounded veterans working out in the rec center. Afterwards, JJ had the chance to meet many more patients while taking a tour of the center’s facilities.

The next day, JJ invited families who were recipients of scholarships provided by ThanksUSA to join him at the ballpark before the game against the Nationals. JJ took valuable time to get to know the families, signing balls and taking pictures with them in the dugout and on the field, creating an unforgettable experience for everyone involved.

To make this possible, we worked with Thanks USA, a great organization that offers college, technical and vocational school need-based scholarships to the children and spouses of US military personnel. Learn more on the website here. We also thank Walter Reed Medical Center for their help coordinating the visit and making the visit possible.

Washington Spirit visits Medstar Georgetown University Hospital

Posted: Updated: by bcerecero

June 24, 2015 – The Washington Spirit Professional Women’s Soccer team took time out of their busy schedule to meet with children at the Medstar Georgetown University Hospital in conjunction with charity Hope For Henry. Spirit players Caprice Dydasco, Megan Oyster, Jenn Skogerboe, Estelle Johnson, Lyndse Hokason, Amanda DaCosta, and Kelsey Wys joined for the visit. The players spent time in the pediatrics wing, brightening the day of the children with balloons, lots of picture taking, signing soccer balls, and delivering cupcakes.

Throughout the year, Hope for Henry team DC area hospitals to provide patients with celebrations, including special visits by athletes and authors, pamper parties for girls and their mothers, movie nights, and more. We are thankful to have such amazing partners such as Hope for Henry and the Washington Spirit, and we are looking forward to the next event.

AFH University @LSU

Posted: Updated: by bcerecero

AFH facilitated workshops for both the women’s soccer and volleyball teams at LSU, as well as follow up workshops with the men’s and women’s basketball teams.

The LSU women’s basketball had their first visit in conjunction with Girls on the Run at Forest Heights Academy of Excellence. The connection was a smashing success as the young girls participated in a variety of team-building and fitness activities that involved cheers, chants and a lot of high fives. It was engaging and fun on both fronts and inspiring for the 3rd to 5th grade girls to see successful women at LSU cheering them on through their journey!