Franklin High to offer intramurals thanks to Oregon Sports Authority

The Oregon Sports Authority Foundation will present a $10,000 award to Franklin High School during a student assembly starting at 10 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 1 at the school. The grant will fund a new intramural sports program this school year following a survey that showed more than 300 Franklin students have a strong interest in participating in intramural sports programs.

The intramural program will be free to students who choose to sign up. The $10,000 received will help purchase sports equipment, and provide instructors, incentives and prizes.

The grant is the first of the Oregon Sports Authority Foundation’s Healthy Youth Initiative to positively impact the lives of high school youth and achieve at least one of three goals: Increased opportunity for physical activity, organized after-school sports opportunities, or increasing the number of youth who can safely walk/bike to school.

“There are plenty of kids who would like to participate in sports, but do not try out for a school sports team for a variety reasons. These are the students this grant will serve,” said Oregon Sports Authority CEO, Drew Mahalic. “We hope the grant will become a model to be replicated at other schools next year.”

“In addition to the physical benefits, the grant will provide an opportunity for a diverse group of students to participate together in a variety of after school sports and health activities,” said Scott Santangelo, athletic director at Franklin.

Founded in 1993, the Oregon Sports Authority Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides grants and conducts programs to support youth sports activities with an emphasis on both underserved youth and increased physical activity. The Healthy Youth Initiative is a Foundation pilot project with a focus on high school youth within Multnomah County. If successful, future grants will be expanded to elementary and middle schools on a statewide basis.

The Oregon Sports Authority Foundation has raised more than $500,000 for youth sports causes throughout Oregon. The Healthy Youth Initiative kicks off the latest round of grants following a brief, recession-induced hiatus. Previous funding has included sports participation fees, successful drives to save PIL spring sports programs in 2003 and PIL golf, tennis and dance in subsequent years, and funds for sports equipment and facility needs of deserving youth. The Foundation has also served as a driving force in the coalition that passed legislation to establish a minimum amount of participation in physical education for Oregon’s public schools, helping to address the trend of childhood obesity among youth throughout the state. In addition, more than 15,000 deserving youth have attended Portland Trail Blazers’ and Winter Hawks’ games through the Foundation’s Reward Youth Ticket Exchange program.