The National Football League is inviting local public and private schools to participate in a Super Bowl community initiative that puts books, sports equipment and school supplies into the hands of students in need. The project, called Super Kids-Super Sharing, has positively impacted underserved children in Super Bowl host communities for the past 17 years.
The NFL, along with the Houston Texans, Houston Super Bowl Host Committee, the Houston Texans YMCA and Verizon, is teaming up with local public and private schools in Houston for this year’s Super Kids-Super Sharing project. Participating schools will ask their students to gather gently used or new books, sports equipment, school supplies and games beginning in early January. The NFL will provide posters, instructions and other materials to participating schools to support the implementation of the project.
As part of Super Kids-Super Sharing, used cell phones and equipment will be collected for the HopeLine® from Verizon program to benefit victims and survivors of domestic violence. HopeLine collects used wireless phones and accessories and turns them into valuable financial support for domestic violence organizations. In 2015, Verizon collected 700,000 phones through HopeLine and distributed more than $7 million in cash grants to domestic violence organizations nationwide.
Super Kids-Super Sharing provides local students an opportunity to be involved in the excitement of Super Bowl by donating items and helping other children. The program also supports NFL PLAY 60, the league’s youth health and wellness campaign, by providing sports equipment to allow children in the community to get active and stay healthy.
A Super Kids-Super Sharing collection event will be held on Thursday, January 19, 2017. Coordinators and several students from each participating school will bring donated items to the collection event. Representatives from the Houston Texans will be on hand to greet and thank students and will host football-themed play activities after donated items are sorted. Donated books, sports equipment, school supplies and games will then be shared with local schools and organizations that work with children in need.
Public and private schools are welcome to take part in Super Kids-Super Sharing. Individual schools may register by emailing the name of their school, address and contact information to Susan.Groh@NFLenvironment.com. Interested schools should register at their earliest opportunity.
Super Kids-Super Sharing is one of several projects created by the NFL to respond to the environmental impact of Super Bowl events and to leave a positive, “green” legacy in the host communities. Tens of thousands of pounds of unserved prepared food from Super Bowl events will be distributed to local shelters and community kitchens. Solid waste from Super Bowl events will be recycled, and leftover décor and construction materials will be donated to local organizations for reuse and repurposing. A number of tree planting projects are being developed to help create additional green space in local communities, and NRG Stadium, the site of Super Bowl LI, and several other major NFL Super Bowl event venues will be powered using “green energy” to reduce the climate impact of Super Bowl events.
These environmental projects are part of a large number of community events and initiatives implemented each year by the NFL and Super Bowl Host Committee to positively benefit each Super Bowl host community.