Our mission is to use the sport of lacrosse to broaden the horizons of our community's youth. We are a sports-based youth development nonprofit serving the under-resourced communities of North Texas. In 2004, our programming began with a summer lacrosse camp in South Dallas. In 2008, we officially became Bridge Lacrosse after seeing incredible progress in programming, and even greater opportunities to impact youth. Since then, we have introduced the sport of lacrosse to thousands of student-athletes in South Dallas, West Dallas and Oak Cliff, Pleasant Grove, as well as other surrounding neighborhoods. Over the years, we've grown our impact off the field as well and provide numerous social, enrichment and academic opportunities as well. We provide hours of high-quality lacrosse instruction, with the help of volunteer coaches, as well as provide new experiences and opportunities for personal growth. Our purpose is to use this unique and nontraditional sport to help close the opportunity gap that exists in many areas of North Texas. We believe that sports can be an integral part of a child's development, and we hope you do too!
Your support of North Texas Giving Day ensures that we can continue our growth and the quality of our year-round programs. Funding will go directly to our fall and spring programs, as well as our developing academic and enrichment activities. Beginning with our fall season, we introduce new student-athletes to our Bridge Family culture and develop the lacrosse skillsets of our student-athletes. Our fall is focused on providing a safe and inclusive learning environment, while reinforcing a growth mindset for each student-athlete. During the spring, we host 12 teams to take part in a 14-week competitive and recreational season throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Spring programming represents our most in-depth opportunity to work with and develop our youth, where we focus on character development and providing unique opportunities only lacrosse can provide. Lastly, your financial generosity will go toward our growing off field programming that includes enrichment activities and academic support. We believe in providing fun experiential learning opportunities and valuable college readiness resources to all our families and youth. We hope that you find our work and mission compelling as we continue to grow the impact and long-term outcomes for our student-athletes. #bridgefamily #bridgefamilia
To use lacrosse to broaden the horizons of our community's youth. Our vision is the equal access fo the benefits of lacrosse to all youth. Our year-round programming focuses on youth from under-resourced neighborhoods of South Dallas, Oak Cliff, Pleasant Grove and West Dallas. We are proud to provide programs that include skills development, competition, travel, college preparation and enrichment, and social/emotional support and learning.
We are thrilled to have the opportunity to share our needs with you as we head toward our ambitious $50,000 North Texas Giving Day goal. For this coming 2023-2024 program year, we have a variety of needs we are looking to find support for.
During our fall season, we are always in need of new equipment to ensure that we remove all costs for our families and youth. New student-athletes are given a lacrosse stick and protective equipment to begin their journey with our Bridge Family.
For our spring season, we are in need of funding to support many of the behind-the-scenes costs of running our most valuable and impactful program. Our largest costs include field rentals, league dues, athletic trainers and officials.
We are excited to grow our enrichment programming with opportunities to challenge our middle and high school student-athletes through rock climbing and other team-building outdoor activities.
Lastly, our college readiness support is vital to many of our high school student-athletes as they navigate their way to college success. Your support goes to individual tutoring, college workshops and test prep.
On May 25, 2020, the murder of George Floyd ignited more than 400 years of exhaustion, outcry and rightful anger in the Black community. The movement for true and lasting racial justice spread to every corner of the globe and took hold within people of every background, color, religion and belief. People, everywhere, began demanding real change and real healing. For far too long, none of that had happened and communities of color suffered and died at the hands of systemic racism.
For the several weeks following, we reached out to and listened to many members of our family. Like so many in the Black community, they expressed being tired, saddened and frustrated. But also, hopeful and motivated and inspired. We witnessed so many in our family protesting, organizing and advocating, especially our student-athletes and alumni. For the first time in our 10+ year history, it finally felt like the ball began moving in the right direction, the direction of reconciliation and tearing down a culture of both apathy and hate.
To our Bridge Family, we remain ever committed to each of you. To provide resources, a partner to throw to, a platform and perhaps now more than ever, an ally. We have much to learn, unlearn and ultimately, to do, and we hope everyone will be along for the process. We are committed to continuing to promote diversity, equality and inclusion, but to now also actively fight racism, injustice and white supremacy.
Thank you.
#bridgefamily #bridgefamilia
Organization name
Bridge Lacrosse
Causes
Youth & Children
Operating Budget
$250,000 - $499,999
Counties Served
Dallas
BIPOC Serving
Black or African American, Hispanic or Latinx
BIPOC Leadership
Executive Director/CEO
Equity Statement
Equity Statement
Address
PO Box 190844