Under Armour, with the help of ESPN and Local Initiatives Support Corp. are planning on transforming vacant lots in Baltimore City into playgrounds, basketball courts and places to exercise.
Kevin Martinez, vice president of ESPN Corporate Citizenship said, "Too many children aren't able to participate in sports due to the lack of access to safe places to play for underserved youth."
The initiative hopes to give kids in Baltimore a place to play sports and exercise that they might not have had access to before in an attempt to steer them away from other activities that might lead to violence.
An Under Armour representative said, "We believe innovation should be encouraged everywhere – including in our communities. We all know that sports can inspire, unite and maybe even change the world."
The initiative, called RePlay, will direct over $400,000 in grants to local organizations to execute the revitalization projects, with an undisclosed additional amount of funding provided by Under Armour and ESPN.
Reaction to the news has been incredibly positive. One reddit user says, "I feel like when city residents are interviewed, and especially when the interviewee is someone who has contact with youth in the city, they routinely stress this is what needs to happen - that giving the kids activities, positive things to do and be part of, is a key part of making things better in Baltimore. So I am glad for their partnership."
Source: PR Newswire
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