Nonprofit initiative helps local youth get in the game

Team sports have long been an option for growing Alaskans. But getting in the game is not always a given for youth from economically challenged backgrounds.

A statewide nonprofit organization is working to change that. Healthy Futures is the signature program of the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame Inc., a group dedicated to empowering Alaska’s youth to build the habit of daily physical activity.

The group unveiled its Game Changer Fund and related Kicks for Kids programs a few years ago. They provide financial assistance to youth who are unable to afford the expense of participating in team or individual sport activities.

Grants of up to $500 can be used to cover basic expenses like registration fees, equipment and clothing, transportation, and skill-building lessons. In addition to need, applicants must demonstrate good character and academic achievement.

Shelley Romer, Healthy Futures’ development director, said more than 1,100 Mat-Su youth have benefited from the programs in the four years since their inception, and the demand continues to grow.

“The need for the program has grown around the state, but specifically in the Mat-Su Borough,” she said. “This is the first year that we’ve had staff present in the borough to market and support the program, and to distribute funds and gear to recipients of the program.” Expansion into the local community was made possible by grants from the nonprofit Mat-Su Health Foundation, which has funded the Game Changer Fund and Kicks for Kids program for the last two years. In addition to paying for a part-time Mat-Su staff person, the $320,206 September grant provides shoes, gear, and scholarships to youth ages 5 to 18 to participate in physical activity-based programming that they would not otherwise have opportunity to participate in.

“Without funding from the Mat-Su Health Foundation, there would not be a staff person in the Valley or dedicated funding for Mat-Su youth,” Romer said. “With the grant, we have dedicated funds that can quickly be awarded or items purchased to support physical activities or protect youth’s feet with appropriate footwear.”

The Mat-Su Health Foundation has been making this kind of investment in community health and wellness since 2007, when it became part owner of the Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. In the 18 years of its existence, the Health Foundation has returned more than $140 million of its share of hospital profits to the community through scholarships, sponsorships, and grants to nonprofit organization around the borough, like Healthy Futures and its Game Changer Fund.

The program is aptly named. One local parent said it made the difference for her sons’ ability to play baseball.

“Game Changer made it possible for my son to participate,” she said. “This season I had two boys playing baseball. With the increased travel, uniform, and participation fees, it was financially challenging, as everything was double the costs.”

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https://healthyfuturesak.org/