Emma's Foundation grants Sope Creek Composite Bike Club $4,000 to expand sports in safe spaces
[Marietta, GA - April 22, 2021] - Emma’s Foundation, a nonprofit with a mission to help those suffering from childhood sexual abuse, has given Sope Creek Adventures, a nonprofit organization supporting five area youth mountain bike teams, a $4,000 bike grant to reduce the bike cost barrier and get more youth outside, on bikes, and finding new ways to build skills and connect with others.
The need to establish both opportunities to participate in organized sports and provide safe spaces for kids to explore, excel and compete with coaches and mentors trained in abuse prevention is on the rise. Unfortunately, sexual abuse is common in youth sports and is peer to peer in about ⅓ of reported cases. Additionally, reports coming out of the National Alliance of Youth Sports, indicate that 70% of young athletes drop out of team sports by age 13.
“This is a solvable problem, and it is critical that we continue to invest in initiatives that provide kids and families the opportunity to safely participate in youth sports,” says Emma Dickerson, Founder and CEO of Emma’s Foundation.” Partnerships like this demonstrate how solvable this issue really is for the community. I chose Sope Creek Adventures for its dedication to abuse prevention, and for the abuse training that all 45 coaches and volunteers receive before they set out to mentor the kids they serve.”
“The $4,000 grant will allow the program to purchase new mountain bikes which will provide access for participation to potential athletes who may lack the means to afford their own bike and help others when or if their bike is broken,” says Christie Hunt, a Sope Creek Adventures volunteer board member. We are very grateful for the ability to share our core values of inclusivity, equality, strong body, strong mind, and strong character with even more kids this coming season. This grant will help make the sport of mountain biking (which can be rather expensive) more accessible to those who can’t afford it!”
The teams supported by Sope Creek Adventures have over 100 kids and 45 volunteers participating in both middle and high school teams from Pope, Walton, and Riverwood High School districts; plus two Sope Creek Composite teams comprised of kids from various schools in North Atlanta, Sandy Springs, and East Cobb. More on joining the team can be found at: sopecreekmtb.squarespace.com.
About Emma’s Foundation
Emma’s Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2021 with a mission dedicated to helping children, families and communities reach their full potential by providing tools to overcome sexual trauma and abuse. Through advocacy, empowerment, education and inspiration, Emma’s Foundation helps people maximize their potential.
More can be found at emmas-foundation.org
Media Contacts:
Emma Dickerson, CEO Emma’s Foundation emma@emmas-foundation.org.
