CHICAGO — Rain in Garfield Park on Saturday helped expand the safe space for Chicago Westside Sports (CWS) to open its baseball season.
CWS is a sports program that gives Chicago kids ages 7 to 14 the opportunity to play baseball, basketball and other sports for free. It was started by the nonprofit City of Refuge, which brought together coaches from other nonprofits, the Chicago Police Department and faith-based organizations to make the program possible.
“We have hundreds of kids and families coming in,” said Crystal Gary, president and CEO of Meridian Health Plan. “When school is out, it’s really important that kids have access to positive activities, positive role models and fun things to do.”
In addition to learning how to play two of the most popular sports in the United States, Gray said it’s also an opportunity for kids to learn the value of healthy nutrition.
“When children don’t get proper nutrition and don’t know where their next meal is coming from, it not only impacts their physical development but their emotional and mental health,” Gary said.
To that end, 80 organizations lent their resources in addition to their expertise on Saturday to distribute 1,500 bags of fresh food to participating families.
“Fresh spinach, fresh radishes, fresh onions, potatoes and other vegetables come directly from Nichols Farms in Marengo, Illinois,” said Gladys Jarrell with Meridian Health Plan of Illinois.
“We want to provide not only nutrition to children, [and] “Education is important,” Gary says, “but having the opportunity to engage in physical activity and healthy lifestyle choices through sport also leads to a healthy, protein-rich diet and makes people healthier and stronger.”
