$10k Donation Supports GirlSport Initiative
PARAMUS, NJ – The Charles Lafitte Foundation (CLF) recently donated $10,000 to the Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey, which brings the Girl Scout Leadership Experience to more than 33,000 girls in Bergen, Morris, Passaic, Sussex and northern Warren Counties.
The donation supports the GirlSports initiative, which currently serves more than 150 girls in Paterson, Passaic and Prospect Park, by offering basketball, tennis, martial arts, dance, cheerleading, soccer, softball, swimming, and other fitness program activities. With the grant from the Charles Lafitte Foundation, Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey plans to reach 750 girls across Northern New Jersey this year with GirlSports.
“We are very grateful for this funding opportunity,” said Betty A. Garger, president and chief executive officer of the Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey. “GirlSports is one of the most popular program activities we provide, and we know there are so many more girls who want to participate. This funding will enable us to reach even more girls who deserve the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of their favorite sports and to be physically active.”
Since 1912, health, nutrition, and fitness have always been essential to the Girl Scout experience. The GirlSports initiative utilizes the Legacy Athlete badge program to connect girls to health, leadership, learning, and teamwork through sports. Participants also earn five age-appropriate badges that teach them about fair play, practicing with a purpose, good sportsmanship, cross-training, and coaching. With a positive correlation between girls who participate in sports and improved academic performance, increased confidence and more community involvement, the Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey continues to engage girls through sports and healthy living.
“We are proud to support the GirlSports initiative, which provides opportunities for girls to be more physically active and in turn, supports their development into young women who are productive and active in their communities during and after their Girl Scouts experience,” said Jennifer Vertetis, president of the Charles Lafitte Foundation.
More information about the Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey is available at www.gsnnj.org or by calling (973) 248-8200. For more information about the Charles Lafitte Foundation, visit www.charleslafitte.org.
About The Charles Lafitte Foundation
The Charles Lafitte Foundation (CLF) supports innovative and effective ways of helping people help themselves and others around them to achieve healthy, satisfying and enriched lives. The Foundation supports organizations working in four main areas: education, children’s advocacy, medical research & issues, and the arts. The Foundation underwrites programs that can become self-sustaining with long-term commitment and measurable impact. In determining grants, CLF looks for solutions that lead to independence and self-empowerment for individuals, and to the establishment of effective, long-standing programs and organizations.
For more information about the Charles Lafitte Foundation visit www.charleslafitte.org.