KTAR’s Community Spotlight this month focuses on the Boys & Girls Club of the Valley and the work to incorporate esports into children’s lives. Cox and the NFL gave a grant to the club, giving the kids got a brand-new e-gaming room. Cox has also donated $20,000 and helped renovated 12 different innovation centers around the Valley.
Next weekend, people from across the country will flood the city of Glendale to see their football teams go head-to-head in the Super Bowl. However, within five miles of State Farm Stadium, the glitz and glamour of the Super Bowl fade into everyday life.
In its 2021 State of Mental Health in America report, Mental Health America noted that youth between the ages of 11 and 17 were more likely than any other age group to experience moderate to severe symptoms of anxiety and depression. More locally, child abuse calls in Arizona are up 10% compared to this time last year, according to the Arizona Department of Child Safety.
Terros Health and the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Valley are working together to address mental health needs in more under-represented communities. The pilot program is called “The Whole Child Approach,” where there will be wellness coaches provided at various branches of Boys and Girls Clubs in Maricopa and Pinal counties.
The National Football League and Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee announced on Wednesday the donation of $25,000 to the Boys & Girls Club of the Valley, according to a press release. The funds will be used to cover the branch’s flag football program for the year, which consists of 275 boys and girls.
Arizona Cardinals legend Larry Fitzgerald and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell crashed a Boys and Girls Club youth flag football practice near 40th Street and the Loop 202 on Wednesday. “I’m a big believer in sports and being active not just as kids but adults, I’m active everyday,” said Goodell. Fitzgerald told the kids about the lessons sports have taught him and how it’s applied to his life.
