Now is a good time of year to highlight those who have made a commitment to helping DC SCORES and the 800 poet-athletes we serve. Every year, organizations give to DC SCORES in a variety of ways. Businesses do the same, helping us sustain a high level of programming and adding to the enjoyment of our fundraisers.
This fall, more kids than ever before, 800, donned DC SCORES uniforms on fields across the city. Those uniforms -- as well as shorts, shinguards and socks -- were donated by adidas.
Our poet-athletes still wouldn't have been able to play if not for DC Stoddert. The youth soccer organization handles the insurance for all our students and also provides coach training and background checks.
At the end of the fall season, four middle school teams earned a spot in the Capital Cup Championship games -- and wore special uniforms for the occasion. Those were donated by Verizon, which also provided the gleaming trophies and medals each team and participant received afterward.
In October, the ASCAP Songwriter Residency @ America SCORES came to the District in the form of The Great Unknown. The critically acclaimed Philadelphia folk-alternative band spent three afternoons writing and then recording a song with our MacFarland Middle School students, who then performed the song to win the Golden Mic trophy at the 13th Annual Poetry Slam!.
How did our 25 schools put together such incredible, unique performances at the Slam!? The poetry specialists from the American Poetry Museum certainly contributed with the teachings they provided.
Speaking of impressive performances, the Alliance for a Healthier Generation provided a great opportunity for DC SCORES alumni and students alike. Past members of our program got the chance to serve on a panel addressing healthy living, and students from Tubman Elementary School were in the audience asking questions.
In October, three schools got quite the thrill when they were given a tour of Volkswagen's headquarters. After checking out some fancy models and learning about the cars, the students headed outside for a soccer clinic hosted by D.C. United. VW and DCU are longtime supporters of our program.
We had new supporters, too.
This fall, more kids than ever before, 800, donned DC SCORES uniforms on fields across the city. Those uniforms -- as well as shorts, shinguards and socks -- were donated by adidas.
Our poet-athletes still wouldn't have been able to play if not for DC Stoddert. The youth soccer organization handles the insurance for all our students and also provides coach training and background checks.
At the end of the fall season, four middle school teams earned a spot in the Capital Cup Championship games -- and wore special uniforms for the occasion. Those were donated by Verizon, which also provided the gleaming trophies and medals each team and participant received afterward.
In October, the ASCAP Songwriter Residency @ America SCORES came to the District in the form of The Great Unknown. The critically acclaimed Philadelphia folk-alternative band spent three afternoons writing and then recording a song with our MacFarland Middle School students, who then performed the song to win the Golden Mic trophy at the 13th Annual Poetry Slam!.
How did our 25 schools put together such incredible, unique performances at the Slam!? The poetry specialists from the American Poetry Museum certainly contributed with the teachings they provided.
Speaking of impressive performances, the Alliance for a Healthier Generation provided a great opportunity for DC SCORES alumni and students alike. Past members of our program got the chance to serve on a panel addressing healthy living, and students from Tubman Elementary School were in the audience asking questions.
In October, three schools got quite the thrill when they were given a tour of Volkswagen's headquarters. After checking out some fancy models and learning about the cars, the students headed outside for a soccer clinic hosted by D.C. United. VW and DCU are longtime supporters of our program.
We had new supporters, too.
Each season, DC Kickball, which runs several social leagues throughout the District, designates a charity to give to for each of its divisions. This fall, the Adams Morgan league chose DC SCORES. A group of volunteers made a tremendous difference at our Fall Frenzy celebration in October, and the organization donated nearly $700 to our program.
Speaking of sports leagues, District Sports has become an invaluable and incredibly generous partner. District Sports runs dozens of recreational soccer leagues for adults throughout the city. Alex Bearman is the head of the organization, and he has volunteered his time at various DC SCORES events and refereed elementary school soccer games for us.
Without Bearman, we wouldn’t have been able to put on the first DC SCORES Holiday Classic recently. Bearman used his influence to secure a playing field and recruit teams for the tournament, which was highly successful. With Bearman’s help and guidance, we hope to put on many similar – and even bigger – events in the future.
Area businesses also added to the event’s enjoyment. When players arrived at 8 a.m. in freezing temperatures, a seemingly unlimited supply of steaming Starbucks coffee was waiting for them. And when they finished playing, they could take a short walk to Duffy’s Irish Pub to redeem their free drink tickets and enjoy drink and food specials all afternoon in a warm, inviting atmosphere.
Business partners such as Duffy’s and Starbucks -- which also does a lot for our program, including offering space for poetry workshops and sending a large group of volunteers to the Poetry Slam! -- play a huge role in helping us run low-budget events that offer plenty of incentives and giveaways for participants.
Along with a tremendous fall of programming and student events, these acts combined to make the last few months memorable for everyone involved with DC SCORES.
Thank you to everyone who has contributed to our cause this fall. And if you haven’t yet, giving a donation toward our Annual Appeal campaign would make a huge difference as we strive to provide the same level of programming for even more deserving students next season.
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