Childhelp Honors the Foundation for Global Sports Development with Prestigious Spirit of the Children Award
The Foundation for Global Sports Development’s (GSD) executive board members, David Ulich and Dr. Steven Ungerleider, have been awarded Childhelp’s Spirit of the Children Award. This esteemed award celebrates their global leadership and commitment to end child abuse. The award was presented during Childhelp’s 11thannual “Drive the Dream” Gala, held January 10th at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix. GSD was a presenting sponsor of Childhelp’s 2015 fundraising gala.
For more than 20 years, GSD has partnered with Childhelp in supporting the organization’s on-going mission to prevent and treat victims of child abuse and neglect. In addition to funding Childhelp’s Residential Treatment Village Programs, GSD underwrote the Childhelp “Speak Up, Be Safe for Athletes” toolkit, a prevention education initiative aimed at promoting the safe physical, emotional, educational, and spiritual development of youth athletes. Dr. Ungerleider, a renowned sports psychologist and executive board member to GSD, stresses the importance of safeguarding young athletes, “We must protect children who entrust their well-being to coaches, teammates, and sports leaders. The culture of sport is one which we, as supporters of Childhelp and positive sports programs, are actively on a mission to improve.”
Yvonne Fedderson and Sara O’Meara, the founders and leaders of Childhelp, agree that the cooperation with GSD is paramount. Ms. Fedderson emphasizes this point: “Our missions match together so well. Both GSD and Childhelp seek to secure children where they learn and play. Through prevention education and recreational therapies, the abused and neglected children recovering in our care receive teambuilding skills, develop self-esteem, and learn to trust again. What a partnership!”
“As a father, it’s intolerable to learn that close to 5 children continue to die each day as a result of child abuse in the United States,” says GSD executive board member, David Ulich. “We will continue supporting Childhelp’s efforts to keep children safe and together, advance the necessary fight against child abuse.”
To learn more about sexual abuse in sports, read the article, “Preventing Sexual Abuse in Sport” on GSD’s website. Access prevention and education information in the Speak Up Be Safe for Athletes curriculum.
About Global Sports Development
Working closely with international sports federations, generous donors and committed athletes, The Foundation for Global Sports Development promotes sportsmanship, education, fair play and ethics among the world’s youth. The Foundation gives special emphasis to groups and communities that are most in need or most underserved by current programs, including women, minorities and youth in areas where the risk of delinquency is particularly high. Visit www.globalsportsdevelopment.org to learn more.
About Childhelp
Founded in 1959 by Sara O’Meara and Yvonne Fedderson, Childhelp® is a leading national non-profit organization dedicated to helping victims of child abuse and neglect. Childhelp’s approach focuses on prevention, intervention and treatment. Childhelp® exists to meet the physical, emotional, educational, and spiritual needs of abused, neglected and at-risk children. We focus our efforts on advocacy, prevention, treatment, and community outreach. Childhelp is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. For more information, please visit www.childhelp.org.
