Photo by Kirby Lee
This month, the Rams, in partnership with United Way, hosted a special Hometown Huddle event for students from the Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA) organization. The Rams front office staff joined players Rodger Saffold and Nelson Spruce at Lafayette Park in Los Angeles to host a special PLAY 60 event for 150 students from the Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA), a non-profit organization dedicated to providing academic, art and athletic programs to underserved youth.
At Hometown Huddle, students participated in football drills, interacted with PLAY60 inflatables and heard from Saffold and Spruce regarding the importance of being physically active for at least 60 minutes every day.
"It's always nice to give back when you get the chance," Saffold shared. "Making sure the kids are playing for 60 minutes a day is important to me."
Hometown Huddle is a league-wide initiative to promote youth health and wellness, connecting the NFL's PLAY 60, which encourages children to be active for 60 minutes a day, with United Way's goal to get more young people active and healthy.
For nearly a decade, NFL PLAY 60 has brought together the NFL's long-standing commitment to health and fitness with partner organizations to increase physical activity among youth. Since the program was launched in 2007, the NFL has committed more than $325 million to youth health and fitness through programming, grants, and media time for public service announcements.
Founded in 1989, Heart of Los Angeles began when Mitchel Moore, a young professional in the community, became concerned with the youth living in the Rampart District of Los Angeles. In an effort to address the issue of youth gang violence, Moore sought to create a "safe space" for students and community members to play basketball, learn about art, music and dance and get help with homework. Today, in partnership with L.A. City Department of Recreation and Parks, HOLA serves over 2,300 children and students annually, through structured academic, arts and athletic programs on our four-building campus.
