Dr Pepper Snapple Group’s Let’s Play™ initiative, along with Detroit-area McDonald’s® and Good Sports®, is pleased to announce Cody High School as the first-place winner of the Let’s Play™ Detroit Challenge. As the first-place winner, Cody High School received a $20,000 donation of brand-new sports equipment during a Dec. 2 unveiling ceremony at the school.
As part of the Let’s Play Detroit Challenge, Detroit public high schools were invited to submit a “For the Love of the Game” themed video, highlighting the importance of sports at their school for the chance to win a donation of brand-new sports equipment. Finalist videos were posted to the Let’s Play Facebook page for public voting in late October. In the video submissions, students demonstrated spirit and creativity in how they showcased the different sports available at each school.
“This donation will surely help support our athletic program, especially during a time when funds aren’t so easily available. This will boost students motivation, team/school spirit as well as keep stakeholders focused on what matters most; students,” said Michelle Parker, principal, Medicine and Community Health (MCH) Academy at Cody. “On behalf of the students and staff at Cody, please accept our heartfelt gratitude for the school’s athletic donations bestowed upon our students. Community partners are an important part of the success of our youth, and the support of Dr Pepper Snapple Group, McDonald’s and Good Sports is greatly appreciated.”
Cody High School’s video received the greatest number of votes to earn first place. Second-place winner, Western International, received a $15,000 sports equipment donation and Osborn High School, Detroit International Academy for Women and Frederick Douglass Academy for Young Men each received a $5,000 sports equipment donation for placing third, fourth and fifth in the voting, respectively.
In Cody High School’s video submission, athletic director Antonio Baker said, “We emphasize athletics as an avenue to help some of our young people improve themselves academically as well as athletically. These young people understand that success always depends upon their efforts. Sports are more than just winning championships. It’s about our student athletes learning life skills through athletics so once they leave the Cody campus, they have an opportunity to be successful because team work makes the dream work, and our students understand that those dreams can come true through athletics.”
“On behalf of my fellow McDonald’s operators, we are proud to join Dr Pepper Snapple Group and Good Sports in awarding sports equipment to Detroit youth,” said Jon Campbell, Detroit-area McDonald’s restaurant owner. “We have long championed education of youth and recognize the important role athletics serves in their development.”
“Our Office of Athletics truly would like to thank the Dr Pepper Snapple Group, McDonald’s and Good Sports for offering this contest and donation of $50,000 to our schools,” said Alvin Ward, Deputy Executive Director, Detroit Community School District Office of Health and Athletics. “These donated dollars will allow the schools to assist their teams and programs with making purchases above and beyond just replacement of uniforms and equipment. They will be able to purchase items of need that were just in their dreams a couple of months ago.”
Let’s Play is an initiative led by Dr Pepper Snapple Group to provide kids and families with the tools, places and inspiration to make active play a daily priority. By 2017, Let’s Play will provide nearly 10 million kids more opportunities to play through grants for new or improved playgrounds and/or sports equipment.
“We’re thrilled at the opportunity to partner with two outstanding organizations – McDonalds and Good Sports – to make a big difference for kids in the Detroit community,” said Vicki Draughn, Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Dr Pepper Snapple Group. “This grant will give these high school students the equipment and gear they need to get in the game and get active.”
“The donation is greatly appreciated at a time when everyone is expected to do more with less. This donation will go a long way in funding our needs,” said Terrence Butler, Athletic Coordinator, Western High School.
Western High School’s video submission showcased the many sports offered, including baseball, basketball, football, softball, soccer, swim, tennis, track and volleyball. Students spoke about the value of athletics, including how it builds character, helps one stay healthy, exercises the body and mind, and is a way to represent the community.
“This donation is very important to the Osborn Community and Osborn High School,” said Lonell Williams, Athletic Director, Osborn High School. “It will help our students’ self-esteem along with letting them compete to their highest level of competitive athletic competition.”
“Our partnership with Dr Pepper Snapple Group and Let’s Play has enabled Good Sports to provide even more equipment to deserving youth across the country,” said Melissa Harper, CEO of Good Sports. “Together, in partnership with McDonald’s, we are thrilled to support Detroit public high schools by providing the tools and resources they need to keep children active, healthy, and happy.”
“This donation of sports equipment will give students the opportunity to get involved in active play while in school and will help get more kids on the court and playing field,” added Campbell. “As a former Michigan State University football player, I know firsthand that success in school and in life can be attributed to both academics and athletics.”
ABOUT LET’S PLAY
Let’s Play is an initiative launched in 2011 by Dr Pepper Snapple Group to provide the tools, places and inspiration to make play a daily priority. By 2017, DPS will have invested $28 million in Let’s Play, impacting millions of youth-serving organizations across the U.S., as well as Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. In partnership with the nonprofit organizations KaBOOM! and Good Sports, Let’s Play is working to eliminate the ‘play deficit’ by building and improving play spaces and providing grants for athletic equipment and gear. For more information, please visit LetsPlay.com or Facebook.com/LetsPlay.
ABOUT GOOD SPORTS
Good Sports gives all kids the lifelong benefits of sport and physical activity by providing equipment, apparel and footwear to those most in need. Since 2003, Good Sports has provided more than $17 million worth of equipment to more than 2,700 youth programs, impacting nearly THREE MILLION kids. Good Sports has also been awarded a coveted 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, the nation’s largest charity evaluator, for sound fiscal management, transparency and accountability; is a Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance accredited charity; and is listed on Social Impact Exchange’s S&I 100, an index of top American nonprofits creating meaningful social impact. For more information on how you can support Good Sports, please visit www.goodsports.org
ABOUT MCDONALD’S USA
McDonald’s USA, LLC, serves a variety of menu options made with quality ingredients to more than 25 million customers every day. Nearly 90 percent of McDonald’s 14,000 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by businessmen and women. Customers can now log online for free at approximately 11,500 participating Wi-Fi enabled McDonald’s U.S. restaurants. For more information, visit www.mcdonalds.com, or follow us on Twitter @McDonalds and Facebook www.facebook.com/mcdonalds.
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