MANCHESTER, NH – More than 200 supporters, friends and community leaders gathered recently at the Derryfield Country Club in support of the 10th Annual Safe Sports Social. Attendees were treated to inspirational stories about young athletes overcoming challenges, presentations from student-athletes, and learned about the compelling work of Safe Sports.
“This event is among our most critical fundraisers,” said Amy Hollingworth, Executive Director of Safe Sports. “It’s also a celebration of our donors and the youth athletes they support.
Keynote speaker Anna Thomas, Director of Public Health for the City of Manchester, discussed the role of youth sports as part of a healthy community and commended Safe Sports for its work in providing a supportive environment for young athletes across the Queen City.
In addition to making donations, attendees at the event could bid on silent auction items as well as enter special raffles. The event was also broadcast via YouTube for those who couldn’t attend in person. “Events like this play a vital role in supporting the kids in our community,” Hollingworth said. “All of our programs and services, from providing athletic healthcare onsite at local high schools to our injury evaluation clinic located in downtown Manchester, are provided free of charge. We are so very grateful to our sponsors and donors for all they do.”
New Hampshire Orthopaedic Center was the Presenting Sponsor of the Social.
Other sponsors included: Foundation Sponsors: Apple Physical Therapy, Bedford Ambulatory Surgical Center, and Derry Sports & Rehab. [Full list of sponsors is below.]
“Participation in sports goes far beyond the physical,” Hollingworth said. “Young people who are part of teams learn valuable life lessons, do better in the classroom, and are less likely to engage in risky behaviors.”
“For over 30 years, Safe Sports has been proud to put youth athletes and their wellbeing at the center of all that we do. Our donors play a major role in keeping our kids safer and on track for success – on and off the playing surface. Thank you to everyone who attended our event!”
About the Safe Sports Network
Our organization was founded in 1989 with free sports physicals for high school student-athletes and today, the Safe Sports Network provides injury care daily at nine high schools and through their injury evaluation clinic as well as education for coaches, parents, and athletes.
Although participation in high school sports is a very important part of social, physical, and personal development, it is not without risk. In fact, 3.5 million young athletes are treated for sports injuries annually. Without athletic healthcare professionals on hand, potentially life-threatening conditions, like concussions or heat stroke, may go unrecognized and result in unnecessary death or disability. Safe Sports Network is dedicated to promoting and providing a safe sports environment to young athletes in New Hampshire.
Safe Sports is part of the NH Musculoskeletal Institute (NHMI), a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the advancement of knowledge in musculoskeletal care and sports medicine and to promoting and providing a safe sports environment for athletes.
To learn more please visit: www.safesportsnetwork.org
All-American Sponsors included: Corflex Global, The Derryfield, and Southern New Hampshire University. All-State Sponsors included: Acapella, Anagnost Companies, Catholic Medical Center, Cross Insurance, Gatorade Performance Partners, KW Charities, Michelle Lambert.com, Millennium Running, New England Duplicator, Retrieve Technologies, Rx Monitoring, Summit Title, and The NH Union Leader.
Varsity Sponsors: Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield, Bedford Bulldogs Athletic Booster Club, Central High School Athletics, Dartmouth Hitchcock Health, Dunkin – The Scrivanos Group, The Elliot Hospital, Eversource, Fidium Fiber Internet, Fisher Cats Foundation, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Manchester Memorial Booster Club, Northeast Delta Dental, NH Cibor Cares, Phoenix Realty Group, The Schubert, Bike and McDonough Families, SNHU Arena, Thrive Outdoors and Trinity High School.
