The Jaguars home game against the Denver Broncos kicks off the 2010 Honor Rows season, welcoming 500 students who have earned their seat to the game.
More than 4,300 youth will participate in the Jaguars Foundation's nationally-recognized Honor Rows this year. The Foundation partners with 44 Jacksonville-area nonprofit agencies to provide goal-setting programs for economically and socially disadvantaged youth to earn a seat to a Jaguars home game. Since the inaugural season of 1995, a total of 56,820 *Honor Rows *seats have been awarded to youth, parents, staff and volunteers, including 4,800for the 2010 season.
Youth ages nine to 17 seek to improve themselves and the community by setting and achieving goals for academic and behavioral improvement, increasing physical activity and eating more nutritionally, and providing volunteer community service. Program duration is a minimum of eight weeks. The youth also take an anti-substance abuse pledge to abstain from illegal drugs, tobacco products and alcohol. The child's parents or guardians co-sign the pledge card agreeing to support the youth in their promise. Historically, with assistance from parents, mentors and agency staff, more than 90% of youth meet their goals and earn their seat.
In addition to a game day ticket, Honor Rows participants receive a complimentary meal, tee-shirt, cap, pledge card, and certificate of completion. During the game Jaguars owners Wayne and Delores Barr Weaver lead The ROAR of the Jaguars cheerleaders and Jaguars fans in a wave to congratulate the youth, seated in the north end zone, in recognition of their accomplishment. Game day volunteers provided through the United Way of Northeast Florida ensure that the youth have a safe and enjoyable game day experience.
Honor *Rows*is the largest of the Foundation's charitable seating programs, which also includes "Honoring Our Troops," in partnership with the greater Jacksonville USO, which provides game tickets for youth whose parents are going on or returning from deployment with the armed services; youth football associations in low-income neighborhoods; HabiJax volunteers; Ronald McDonald House families and others. The Foundation allocates more than $420,000 worth of home game seats to charitable purposes annually.
Below are the 2010Honor* Rows* grant recipients and their assigned home game:
9/12 DENVER BRONCOS
The Bridge of Northeast Florida
Communities in Schools of Jacksonville
Northeast Florida Community Action Agency
Panama Youth Services
9/26 PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Florida
Central Metropolitan CME Church
Community Connections of Jacksonville
Lutheran Social Services
Metro Kids Konnection
River Region Human Services
10/3 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
AMI Kids
Child Guidance Center
Children's Home Society
daniel, Inc.
Duval Juvenile Residential Facility
Family Support Services of North Florida
Gateway Community Services
Habitat for Humanity Jacksonville Beaches
Hubbard House
Jewish Family & Community Services
Northeast Florida Community Action Agency
Northside Community Involvement
White Youth Foundation
11/14 HOUSTON TEXANS
Abundant Life Church
Boselli Foundation
Communities in Schools of Jacksonville
Empowerment Resources
Guardian Catholic Schools
Shands Jacksonville
St. Augustine Youth Services
11/21 CLEVELAND BROWNS
Bethel Baptist Institutional Church
Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida
Communities in Schools of St. Johns County
Jacksonville Children's Chorus
MaliVai Washington Kids Foundation
New Life Temple (Heart to Heart Christian Academy)
PACE Center for Girls Jacksonville
12/12 OAKLAND RAIDERS
Best Buddies International
Communities in Schools of Nassau
Duval County 4-H Foundation
Girls, Inc. of Jacksonville
Police Athletic League, Jacksonville
Potter's House Christian Academy
YMCA of Florida's First Coast
12/26 WASHINGTON REDSKINS
The Bridge of Northeast Florida
Community Connections of Jacksonville
HOPE Worldwide
Metro Kids Konnection
Sanctuary on 8th Street
United Congregations for Community and Youth
The Jaguars Foundation seeks to leverage local, state, and national resources to serve economically and socially disadvantaged youth and families in greater Jacksonville. Other Foundation programs include: Grant making to area non-profit agencies totaling more than $13.5 million since 1995; Straight Talk™,designed to educate and reduce the incidence of teen pregnancy and the spread of AIDS and other sexuality transmitted infections through a strategic partnership with local media, non-profit organizations and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida; "Play 60 Challenge," a youth anti-obesity initiative in partnership with Baptist Health/Wolfson Children's Hospital, the NFL and the American Heart Association; and the "Jaguars Don't Smoke" youth anti-tobacco initiative established in partnership with The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to reduce smoking among youth.
