Last year, I told you about the Disneyland Resort, Angels Baseball and the Anaheim Ducks joining together to provide more opportunities to thousands of Anaheim youth through a collaboration called Accelerate Change Together for Anaheim (ACT Anaheim). To kick off ACT Anaheim, our three organizations committed $3 million over the span of three years for the creation and expansion of youth programs with local nonprofits.
During its first grant cycle, ACT Anaheim awarded $1.5 million to 10 nonprofits, which provided enhanced and expanded services to nearly 2,500 Anaheim youth. ACT II was announced earlier this month to the tune of $2 million for 14 nonprofits. We’ve already exceeded our initial goal, with ACT Anaheim funding a total $3.5 million to local nonprofits in just two years thanks to additional individuals and companies who have joined the cause!
Here is a look at some of the achievements ACT Anaheim recipients made with the help of those first funds:
- Through GOALS’ (Growth Opportunities through Athletics, Learning and Service) Special Sports program, GOALS teens play hockey, volleyball, soccer and other sports with their buddies with disabilities from the Orange County Adult Achievement Center.
- Anaheim Family YMCA teens explore all kinds of activities, including snorkeling and archery, at Camp Fox, an overnight summer camp.
- Anaheim high school students prepare for college and careers through the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) Career & College Access Immersion Program at the Tiger Woods Learning Center.
- Anaheim junior high school students create their own superhero identities as part of Girls Inc.’s Mind+Body program focusing on fitness, nutrition, body image and stress management.
