During the fourth annual Sports Humanitarian Awards, ESPN announced a $100,000 grant awarded to the U.S. Center for SafeSport, a national nonprofit authorized by Congress, to focus on preventing all forms of abuse in sport. The grant will help ensure a safe environment for athletes by providing training, resources and education to both sport participants and organizations, at all levels of competition, to champion respect and prevent abuse. ESPN will also provide an initiative that will provide extensive guidance to both parents and athletes to prevent abuse at all levels.
What They Are Saying:
- Kevin Martinez, vice president of ESPN Corporate Citizenship: “ESPN is committed to ensuring all youth have access to sports, and in doing so, making safety the top priority. Sports must unequivocally be a safe space and we’re committed to making this happen.”
- “The Center is incredibly grateful for ESPN’s generosity and commitment to making the well-being of our nation’s athletes a priority. Education is at the heart of prevention and providing sport participants and organizations with SafeSport training helps us ensure that we’re one step closer to creating a culture where athletes are safe, supported and strengthen through sport.”
- Tom Farrey, executive director of the Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program: “Creating environments free of all forms of abuse is essential in getting and keeping kids involved with sports. ESPN’s commitment will prompt organizations across the country to make safety a priority.”
About U.S. Center for SafeSport:
- The Center is the first and only national organization of its kind focused on ending all forms of abuse in sport
- As an independent non-profit headquartered in Denver, CO, the Center provides services to sport entities on abuse prevention techniques, policies and programs. T
- he Center also provides a safe, professional and confidential place for individuals to report sexual abuse within the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movements.
- For more information visit www.safesport.org.