Think warm thoughts: Sign up your company for June's DC SCORES Cup

Written by Daniel Meloy
Senior Director of Development & Communications

Brrrrrr!

With temperatures in the 20s, we need to think about something other than winter to warm us up.

So picture this: a sunny day... temperatures in the mid 70s ... a gentle breeze ... and you, joining your friends and colleagues for an incredible day of soccer in the 2015 DC SCORES Cup!

The DC SCORES Cup is the largest corporate charity soccer tournament in Washington, DC. This year’s tournament on Saturday, June 20, will see more than 500 people as 32 corporate teams converge at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Gaithersburg, MD, to enjoy camaraderie, competition, and a fun way to make a difference for thousands of kids in the District.

The reasons companies participate are as varied as the companies themselves. Businesses play in the DC SCORES Cup for team building, to give employees an outlet to engage in the community, and for networking. But they all have one thing in common -- they have a great time at the event!

“Kirkland & Ellis LLP is proud to have participated in multiple DC SCORES Cups over the years. Each year we’re reminded that the DC SCORES Cup represents so much more than a great tournament full of competitive soccer — it’s a team-building experience that creates lasting bonds, an enormous amount of fun, and a fantastic opportunity to help support our community through the phenomenal work of the DC SCORES program.”

-- Bryan Stephany, Kirkland & Ellis LLP

It’s no wonder that teams return year after year. In fact, three teams -- Hogan Lovells US LLP, Marriott, and Zuckerman Spaeder LLP -- have played in every DC SCORES Cup since it was created and was called the Sharks vs. Suits Shootout in 2003. And for the past three years, PricewaterhouseCoopers has entered two teams in the tournament!

Do you need to be a pro-level soccer player to participate? Heck no! That’s why we have two divisions -- the Competitive Division for those teams who take the game a bit more seriously and the Casual Division for those who simply want to have some fun on the field.

For businesses looking to flex their charitable muscle and gain access to a lucrative target audience, the tournament offers terrific sponsor opportunities. Sponsors are able to interact with participants and receive significant exposure through social media.

Are you ready to register and put your team together? (It’ll make you forget all about the cold weather!)

To learn more about the DC SCORES Cup or about sponsor opportunities, visit: www.dcscorescup.org.

A time for gratitude and the spirit of giving

Cresa Washington DC brought ice cream to summer camp, just one partner making a difference!

Written by Daniel Meloy
Senior Director of Development & Communications

Around this time each year, a special feeling begins to take over the DC SCORES office. We’ve wrapped up our fall season, had two exciting nights of our Poetry Slam!, and are preparing for our office to close for the final week of the year. It is the perfect time for us to reflect on the incredible year we’ve had. (Watch for a blog post next week that will highlight 14 great moments of 2014!)

For me, this year-end reflection inevitably turns to our ever-growing team of supporters — individual donors, corporate partners, foundation and government funders, and volunteers; those for whom the spirit of giving abounds throughout the year. Each day I am overwhelmed by and thankful for the generosity of our community.

Some of this year’s highlights for me include…

Our Couch to Camp Campaign, sponsored for the first time by Cresa Washington DC. Cresa not only supported this campaign financially to provide our summer camps free of charge, but Cresa employees served as “Camp Champs” by individually raising funds from their friends, families, and colleagues. Their efforts culminated in bringing ice cream to the campers during the last week of camp.

This year’s SCORE Awards in early May was an evening to remember. With support from sponsors CIT and Volkswagen Group of North America and staging, lighting and sound donated by EventPro, the beautiful Longview Gallery hosted a crowd of 170 DC SCORES supporters to recognize and honor the commitment of our coaches and volunteers — those who are working with our kids every day after school. It was a magical night!

Throughout the year, foundations and community groups make grants to DC SCORES. This year we welcomed several of these to the DC SCORES team, including the Verizon Foundation, the Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church, and the World Bank/Aspen Institute.

Two foundations — the Hattie Strong Foundation and the Corina Higginson Trust — really “upped their game” with DC SCORES and are providing multi-year funding. They joined the DC Trust in making funding commitments on which we can rely in future years.

Our team of individual donors continues to grow, and coming together as a team was no more apparent than just a few weeks ago on Giving Tuesday. More than 300 donations poured into DC SCORES on that day alone, far surpassing any day we’d experienced before.

Our League of Champions (LOC) continues to grow as well. Members of the LOC pledge to contribute at least $1,000 each year for five years, thus providing reliable funding throughout the year for years to come. Nearly 50 LOC members have made this commitment!

I’m also reminded that giving comes in many forms, including the gift of time. DC SCORES volunteers gave more than 5,000 hours of service this year. Wow! From refereeing games to serving on committees to painting faces at our big Jamboree! and Fall Frenzy events, volunteers have been selfless with their time.

I’m grateful for all of our volunteers, but two groups of volunteers are especially important to me — our High Five Tour Ambassadors and our program alumni.

For many people, their first introduction to DC SCORES is through a High Five Tour at our office. Tour Ambassadors invite their friends and colleagues to come learn about our work. They’re constantly promoting DC SCORES and bringing new people to our team.

Our alumni volunteers are also our most passionate. They know first-hand how DC SCORES can change lives and their desire to “give back” is unparalleled. If you’ve ever watched a DC SCORES soccer game and saw a young referee, chances are they were a DC SCORES alumnus. In addition to refereeing, our alumni come to the office to help after school, serve as assistant coaches, and are role models for the younger kids in our program. It is heartwarming to see the spirit of giving in these young people.

During this “season of giving,” I’m giving thanks for the entire DC SCORES team. Without our team of supporters, donors and volunteers, we would not be able to reach so many kids and impact so many lives.

Thank you for being part of our team.

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Click here to give the gift of team before the new year! 

Cresa Washington DC's 'Camp Champs' lead summer camp fundraising campaign

Written by Daniel Meloy
Senior Director of Development & Communications

Summer.

It’s a time so many kids look forward to. A time to play, to be with friends, to just have fun!

But for many kids who don’t have access to safe, structured activities, summer can mean a time to be stuck on the couch, with the only activity being video games or watching TV.

That’s why DC SCORES offers free summer camps to keep kids active and learning in a safe and structured environment. Our soccer and arts camps engage over 250 kids and help combat summer learning loss as well as fitness loss. We keep kids off the couch!

And to keep our summer camps free to all who participate, each spring we conduct our Couch to Camp Campaign. The annual fundraising campaign runs for several weeks and raises thousands of dollars needed for camp counselors, equipment, supplies, healthy snacks, and buses - all the things that create a fun summer experience.

This year, we wanted to give our Couch to Camp Campaign an extra boost. We asked ourselves, “How do we give the campaign greater exposure and raise more money?”

We didn’t have to look very far for our answer. Our good friends at Cresa Washington DC quickly signed on as the presenting sponsor of the campaign.

Cresa Washington DC has supported DC SCORES in a variety of ways, so it was no surprise that its support for the Couch to Camp Campaign was more than simply writing a check.

With support from the Cresa Washington DC partners and a team of dedicated employees, the company made a generous financial commitment. But then Cresa went one step further, with 10 employees serving as “Camp Champs.” Each Camp Champ set up a personal online fundraising page and has been asking friends, family and colleagues to make donations.

As we head into the final two days of the Couch to Camp Campaign and are close to reaching our fundraising goal, the Camp Champs are hard at work. We are grateful for their commitment to DC SCORES and to the kids we serve. We can’t wait for Cresa Washington DC day at camp this summer, when Cresa employees will attend camp, meet and interact with the kids, and experience first-hand exactly what they are helping to make possible.

Thank you, Cresa Washington DC, for your generosity and dedication to DC SCORES and the kids we serve!

To contribute to this year’s Couch to Camp Campaign, please go HERE.

Partner profile: EVOKE provides services, builds personal connections to DC SCORES

EVOKE hosted a mobile High Five! Tour, where guests
learned more about DC SCORES' impact.

Written by Daniel Meloy
Senior Director of Development & Communications

When highlighting previous DC SCORES business supporters, I’ve mentioned those that have supported us beyond a grant or donation. This month’s featured supporter - EVOKE - has, like many other businesses, supported DC SCORES in a variety of ways.

EVOKE is a full-service event design, planning and management firm, producing events throughout the greater Washington, DC region. Founder and owner Jodi Moraru was introduced to DC SCORES three years ago and quickly got involved in our 2012 Inspired Art event.

As the connection between DC SCORES and EVOKE grew, so did the personal involvement of Jodi, who joined the DC SCORES Board of Directors last June.

Most recently, Jodi and EVOKE hosted (along with two fellow board members) a “mobile High Five! Tour.” A High Five! Tour is a “tour” of our mission, told through stories of kids who’ve participated in DC SCORES, giving guests a fun introduction to our work. While normally done at the DC SCORES office, it can go mobile to a office or private home.

It was no surprise to us that Jodi and EVOKE got others involved in the mobile High Five! Tour. In addition to inviting colleagues and friends, Jodi got Travelling Bean to set up an espresso station and Photogroup to provide space for the event. Jodi and EVOKE understand that the goal of the High Five! Tour is to tell others about DC SCORES. By getting others involved, she helped us achieve that goal.

Jodi also understands that having an impact on the community involves more than just finding a worthy cause to support. It’s about finding the right organization.

“As a business owner, it’s important for me to give back to the community, but I also feel that working with the right charity is a very personal decision," Jodi said. "It didn’t take me long to realize that DC SCORES was the right organization for EVOKE. A child who has self-confidence, strength of character, and a willingness to be part of a strong community will give back ten-fold in life and have the ability to overcome life’s tougher situations. DC SCORES fosters support and growth of kids, and EVOKE is proud to play a role in that.”

And DC SCORES is proud to have EVOKE as one of our supporters!

If you would like to host a mobile High Five! Tour at your office or discuss other opportunities for your business to get involved with DC SCORES, please contact Daniel Meloy at dmeloy@americascores.org.

Individual donor profile: Tony Francavilla calls DC SCORES 'Really freaking awesome'

Written by Daniel Meloy
Senior Director of Development & Communications

In addition to the support of companies and foundations, as well as government grants, DC SCORES relies on the generosity of hundreds of individual donors. Each month, the DC SCORES blog will highlight one of those individuals who contribute to DC SCORES.

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When Tony Francavilla first heard about DC SCORES during his senior year of college, he was immediately drawn to the organization because it involved two of his favorite things: writing and soccer.

Whenever Tony tells someone about DC SCORES, often their first reaction is to tell him that soccer and poetry are a pretty bizarre combination. He admits they have a point. But having worked at a program in a neighborhood served by DC SCORES, he is able to talk about the importance of staying active and also having diverse outlets for positive self-expression.

“Some kids can’t think of a single thing they’d enjoy less than writing, but are as comfortable as can be on the soccer field (or any athletic field for that matter),” he says. “Other kids might dread stepping out on the field, but when Poetry Slam! time comes around they are all attitude and showmanship and talent … you forget entirely that they are only in fifth grade.”

And what about those kids who like both soccer and writing?

“Then DC SCORES is the jackpot,” Tony says.

Tony fully understands what it is like to have an after-school activity to look forward to every day. Growing up, he was involved in quite a few activities - sports, mock trial, quiz bowl. He even served on the local parks and rec board when he was younger because he thought it would be cool. (He now reports that he later learned it wasn’t!)

Now Tony stays active by playing soccer, practicing yoga, volunteering, tutoring, and spending time with friends. Tony also lends his time to DC SCORES. This month, he’s inviting his friends and hosting them at our High Five! Tour on Wednesday, February 19, from 11:30am-12:30pm. (If you would like to join us for a High Five! Tour and learn more about DC SCORES, please go HERE.)

When asked to describe DC SCORES using only three words, Tony replies, “Really freaking awesome.”

Tony, we can say the same of you. Thank you for your continued support of DC SCORES!

Local businesses in the giving spirit support DC SCORES in myriad ways

Written by Daniel Meloy
Senior Director of Development & Communications

This is a time of year when small businesses focus on those all-important holiday sales. It’s a busy season!

But it’s also a time when many local businesses share the spirit of giving and help our community - and that includes several in our area that are helping DC SCORES in a variety of ways.

Chix DC uses the tagline “eat responsibly,” and that certainly extends to its responsibility to the community. Chix DC has designated December 16-22 “DC SCORES Week” at its two locations (1121 14th Street, NW, just south of Thomas Circle and 2019 11th Street, NW, 11th and U Streets). Chix DC will donate 1% of ALL sales that week to DC SCORES. Plus, Chix DC will host a happy hour at its 14th Street location on Wednesday, December 18 from 5:30 to 7:00pm, with 10% of happy hour sales going to DC SCORES.

"Eat Responsibly is the Chix motto: it’s about responsible eating and living, and doing business the right way, which includes supporting our community and valuable organizations like DC SCORES," said Victoria Garcia-Umana, Chix Managing Partner. "We believe in promoting an active lifestyle among our youth, and that is one of many shared values between our business and DC SCORES."

Three years ago Aquilano Salon owner John Michael Pascazio, knowing that his customers were just as generous as he is, decided to use the holiday season to benefit others. He and his staff chose a charity for their clients to support and get discounts on services to thank them for their generosity.

The effort was successful, has continued, and DC SCORES is this year’s charity. Aquilano Salon, in Old Town Alexandria (712 N. Washington Street), is collecting supplies for our writing program. When customers bring in things like writing journals, pencils, pens, markers, or pencil sharpeners this month, they will receive $5 off their next service.

It’s a win-win program, especially for the 1,500 DC SCORES students!

When Liz Gartzke, event coordinator for City Tap House, began looking for community-based organizations for the newly opened DC restaurant (901 I Street, NW) to support, DC SCORES was high on her list. Once she met with the staff and heard about our program, she was hooked! And one of the first events that City Tap House will host is an event for the DC SCORES coaches -- those hard-working people who are at the heart of DC SCORES programming.

Thanks to these and other local small businesses, DC SCORES’ students throughout the city will continue to play soccer, write creatively, and volunteer in their communities through DC SCORES!

DC SCORES chosen as 'One of the best small charities' by Catalogue for Philanthropy

Written by Daniel Meloy
Senior Director of Development & Communications

An important catalogue is hitting DC-area mailboxes, but it isn’t one that features glitzy gifts or expensive presents. Instead, the Catalogue for Philanthropy profiles 74 of greater Washington’s best community charities.

For the third time in 10 years, DC SCORES has been selected to be featured in the Catalogue -- with a fantastic description of our program and a full-page photo. We were previously featured in 2004 and 2009.

The Catalogue for Philanthropy is an important and powerful force for giving, engaging thousands of people in the work of nonprofits in the greater DC area. Since its inception in 2003, the Catalogue has helped its featured nonprofit organizations raise over $21 million.

For DC SCORES, inclusion in the Catalogue for Philanthropy is a prestigious “stamp of approval.” A team of 120 experts in nonprofit programming and financial management reviewed over 200 applications from a wide variety of organizations, conducted site visits, and narrowed the list to the featured 74.

What this means for you is whether you support DC SCORES by making a donation, organizing a fundraiser, or volunteering at an event or with our programs, you can rest assured knowing that your contribution and time is well-spent. You can read our Catalogue entry and request a copy of your own Catalogue here.