The Parker Youth and Sports Foundation in Yakima is holding a month-long sports equipment drive as they look to encourage local kids to participate in sports.
Vice President of the foundation Nancy Leahy says that the first equipment drive from this past fall was a big success and something that they would like to carry over.
"This will be the second equipment drive we've done and we're doing it because the first one was so successful,” Leahy said. “When we saw those happy faces leaving us, we just couldn't think to go any other way."
With summer in full swing, Leahy says that they could expect to see lots of equipment coming in.
"We know there's gear coming out of garage cleaning right now, and this is a good time to have a gathering of sports equipment,” Leahy said.
Leahy says that the goals of the equipment drive are to make youth sports more affordable in Yakima while also opening up more opportunities for local athletes to get involved.
"We have 20 board members and many of them are coaches, and they see kids that can't play or they come to sign up and then realize there's equipment they have to buy that they their parents don't have money for,” Leahy said. “That discouragement of losing a player and watching his eyes fall because he can't be on the team unless he gets equipment, we want to solve that problem."
The foundation offers a number of grant opportunities for coaches to sign up for, but Leahy says that it can be challenging the reach everyone in the community.
"We want to increase participation, and we want to increase the confidence of kids, and we want to improve the health of everybody,” Leahy said.
The equipment drive will run from Jun. 15 to Jul. 15.
The foundation will be at Franklin Park from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Jul. 18 for their equipment pickup event.
Equipment dropoffs can be done at the following locations:
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John L. Scott Yakima: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
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Therapeutic Associates West Valley PT: Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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Therapeutic Associates Selah PT: Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.