Women’s Sports Foundation Earns Steve Patterson Award for Excellence in Sports Philanthropy

WSF Receives 2012 Steve Patterson Award for Excellence in Sports Philanthropy from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation from Womens Sports Foundation on Vimeo.

New York, NY (September 13, 2012) – Today the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) announced the Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF) among the winners of the 2012 Steve Patterson Award for Excellence in Sports Philanthropy, honoring the organization for its contributions in getting girls and women healthy and active. Through this award, Steve Patterson’s legacy educates and motivates the sports world to continue giving back.

The prestigious award from the nation’s largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to health and health care underscores the impact of the Women’s Sports Foundation’s grassroots program, GoGirlGo!, which reaches sedentary girls in underserved communities to teach them how to be physically active so they can become healthy and successful in life. The award also acknowledges the success of the Foundation’s advocacy and research initiatives, which leverage athletes and sports experts to expand opportunities for women and girls to participate in sports and physical activity across communities, cultures, and abilities. Additionally, sports philanthropy contributes to the growth of the Foundation’s Travel & Training Fund that helps female athletes achieve their potential all the way to national and international competition.

“Through our advocacy, our grants, and our evidence-based programming, the Women’s Sports Foundation has helped millions of girls and women be active and healthy,” explained WSF president Laila Ali. “From our start in 1974 when Billie Jean King used her earnings from a tennis tournament to open our doors, through the increasing parity we see in sports today, the Women’s Sports Foundation has been integral to the development of opportunities for all female athletes in the U.S. Our work is not done, and the Steve Patterson Award will help us expand our call-to-action to get more athletes, communities, and partners involved in our mission to ensure that all girls have access to sports and fitness.”

WSF CEO Kathryn Olson will accept the award today from RWJF President and CEO Risa Lavizzo-Mourey and Carlette Patterson, widow of Steve Patterson and President of Patterson Sports Ventures.

“The community of female athletes around the country contributes to our circle of giving back with their generosity and participation in the Foundation’s mission,” said Olson. “Over an incredible three decades, the Foundation has awarded more than 1,250 grants to help aspiring women athletes and teams achieve competitive excellence, and these athletes become ambassadors and contributors to help us further advance our goals of creating participation opportunities for girls in underserved communities.”

Additional recipients of the 2012 Steve Patterson Award for Excellence in Sports Philanthropy include the Chicago White Sox for their White Sox Volunteer Corps, which brings together thousands of fans, players, coaches, and club executives to assist underserved Chicago neighborhoods through volunteer work; and Notah Begay III Foundation, which addresses the epidemics of childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes impacting Native American children, physical fitness, nutritional, and other health needs that are particular to the Native American community.

About Women’s Sports Foundation
The Women’s Sports Foundation, founded in 1974, is the leader in promoting sports, health and education for girls and women. With Billie Jean King as its founder and ongoing visionary, the Women’s Sports Foundation continues to have a profound impact on female athletics, from its vigorous advocacy of Title IX legislation to providing grants and scholarships, grassroots programs for underserved girls, and groundbreaking research. An agent for change, the foundation has relationships with more than 1,000 of the world’s elite female athletes and is recognized globally for its leadership, vision, strength, expertise and influence. For more information, visit www.WomensSportsFoundation.org or KeepHerInTheGame.org. Follow the Foundation at www.Facebook.com/WomensSportsFoundation or on Twitter (@WomensSportsFdn).

About the Steve Patterson Award for Excellence in Sports Philanthropy
The Steve Patterson Award for Excellence in Sports Philanthropy is presented annually by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The award acknowledges sports organizations and individual sports philanthropies that have demonstrated excellence, leadership, and a sustained commitment toward a mission that serves and improves the lives of others. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org/patterson. Follow the award on Twitter (www.twitter.com/PattersonAward) or Facebook (www.facebook.com/pattersonaward).

About the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on the pressing health and health care issues facing our country. As the nation’s largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to health and health care, the Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, measurable, and timely change. For 40 years the Foundation has brought experience, commitment, and a rigorous, balanced approach to the problems that affect the health and health care of those it serves. When it comes to helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need, the Foundation expects to make a difference in your lifetime. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org. Follow the Foundation on Twitter (www.rwjf.org/twitter) or Facebook (www.rwjf.org/facebook).