To volunteer with The Dwight D. and Sheryl Howard Foundation, go to www.dwight-howard.com
Sports has always been a part of Dwight Howard Sr.’s life. Howard and his wife, Sheryl, were both athletes and through their love for sports, they started to worked with youth in low-income areas and mentor them through sports over 30 years ago.
“It’s a great way to keep kids stabilized,” said Howard, who is originally for South Georgia. Through basketball camps and coaching track, Howard has been involved with kids in the South Fulton area since he established The Dwight D. and Sheryl Howard Foundation in 2004 when his son was drafted into the NBA. His son, Dwight Howard Jr, plays center for the Houston Rockets.
To continue to give back to kids through sports, Howard partnered with EvoShield, an Athens-based sports company, to donate protective baseball gear to the varsity baseball team at Therell High School in southwest Atlanta.
On March 13, Justin Niefer, co-founder of EvoShield, along with Howard, outfitted the entire team with protective chest, elbow and wrist guards to help support local teams and allow young kids to be protected while playing the game they love. “Let our kids play the sport, but let’s be proactive about their safety and protection while they do,” said Niefer.
This community involvement also supports EvoShield’s newly launched Protective Parent program that leads ways to help protect kids on the playing field.
“When we heard about (Dwight Howard Sr.’s) idea to give back to the baseball team, we knew we had to be involved,” said Niefer, who played baseball for University of Georgia. “It falls in line with our mission to keep athletes in the game and also make a positive impact in our community.”
Howard has spent the last few years bringing up and mentoring youth athletes in Therell High School area, and through his foundation, he hosts summer basketball camps that focus on more than just sports. “We use sports as a focus, and then we work hard to mentor these kids to make sure they are on the path to a bright future and build character and confidence,” said Howard.
To further his mission, Howard asks for the community’s help to mentor and get involved with the foundation’s outreach. Opportunities are available in the after-school enrichment program, the mentoring program and in whatever capacity a volunteer can offer.
The bottomline, to Howard, is, “the personal joy of seeing a young person realize their own potential and that they can do anything is uplifiting.”
In other news: Pope Men's Lacrosse, along with their JR Greyhounds, collected 301 pairs of new baby and children's shoes for My Sister's House at their 2014 Lace Up with LAX annual charity event. In addition, the Walton High School Raiders hosted a Lace Up With LAX game on March 28 and collected 40 pairs of shoes for children at City of Refuge. And, Northview High School Titans hosted their Lace Up with LAX game on March 29 with Westminster Wildcats and collected 90 pairs of shoes for women and children at The Drake House. With all of the games, over 400 pairs of shoes were collected and will benefit local homeless shelters.
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