FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – Last week, youth at Boys & Girls Clubs of Fort Wayne were joined by Fort Wayne FC and its owner, internationally renowned soccer player and Fort Wayne native, DaMarcus Beasley, to celebrate a $20,000 contribution by Buffalo Wild Wings Foundation in support of the soccer training program.
Conducted by Fort Wayne FC owner DaMarcus Beasley and associates of the Fort Wayne Football Club (FC) through its charitable Fort Wayne Cares program, the soccer skills camp brought an opportunity to provide a positive influence to 50 young people from Boys & Girls Clubs of Fort Wayne, empowering and inspiring local kids and teens through the game of soccer.
The Boys & Girls Club released the following:
“The pandemic created a financial strain and difficulty executing the Clubs sports programs,” said Joe Jordan, president and CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of Fort Wayne. “With the blessing of financial support from The Buffalo Wild Wings Foundation and the generous donation of time and talent from Fort Wayne FC and DaMarcus Beasley, young people can be introduced to and enjoy soccer once again.”
The Buffalo Wild Wings Foundation and Boys & Girls Clubs of America partnership supports ALL STARS youth sports programs in soccer, flag football, basketball, and volleyball at clubs across the country. ALL STARS also supports a variety of introductory and intramural sports including kickball and dodgeball. Buffalo Wild Wings has offered support to the Fort Wayne clubs in a variety of ALL STARS sports programs for many years. The $20,000 donation marks the largest single donation to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Fort Wayne.
“We are overwhelmed by the support of the Buffalo Wild Wings Foundation and Boys & Girls Clubs of Fort Wayne with our Fort Wayne FC Cares Program. As a club, we want to engage, connect, and inspire the youth through the game of soccer. I grew up playing games at Foster Park, so to be able to have the soccer program here, brings back so many amazing memories. It has been a joy to work with the kids and teens at Boys & Girls Clubs of Fort Wayne,” stated DaMarcus Beasley, director of sports operations for Fort Wayne FC.
“The Fort Wayne Football Club, DaMarcus Beasley and Boys & Girls Clubs of Fort Wayne are a wonderful collaboration for Buffalo Wild Wings..”, said Ed Minnich, Director of Operations for Buffalo Wild Wings/Jones Group. “Like DaMarcus, I attended South Side High School and spent hundreds of hours at Foster Park. Now, we are back here again enriching the lives of the young people in our community. What a blessing!”
Together through a national partnership, Boys & Girls Clubs of America and The Buffalo Wild Wings Foundation offer ALL STARS youth sports programs in soccer, flag football, basketball and volleyball to kids and teens at Boys & Girls Clubs across the nation.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of America
For 160 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA.org) has provided a safe place for kids and teens to learn and grow. Clubs offer caring adult mentors, fun and friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Boys & Girls Clubs programming promotes academic success, good character and leadership, and healthy lifestyles. More than 4,900 Clubs serve over 4.3 million young people through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native lands throughout the country, and serve military families in BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide. National headquarters are located in Atlanta. Learn more about Boys & Girls Clubs of America on Facebook and Twitter.
About The Buffalo Wild Wings Foundation
Buffalo Wild Wings, founded in 1982, is the largest sports bar brand in the United States. Globally, there are more than 1,200 restaurants in 10 countries. Buffalo Wild Wings is part of the Inspire Brands family of restaurants. For more information, visit BuffaloWildWings.com and InspireBrands.com.
