
RIVIERA BEACH, FL — For
the sixth consecutive year, Inner City Youth
Golfers’, Inc. Executive Director, Esmeralda
H. Knowles has been chosen as the 'Golf Clinician'
along with her team of volunteers for the Palm
Beach County Sports Commission’s Annual
“Kids Fitness Festival” July 16-17,
2009. Each July, South Florida youth gather at the
Americraft Expo Center at the South Florida
Fairgrounds, West Palm Beach, Fla., for two days
of fitness and fun. ICYG will provide a fun
golfing experience to at least 5,000 youth in the
two days along with prizes, 'do's and
don’t', literature, and a “Say No To
Drugs – Say Yes To Education, Culture &
Golf” goody bag (a program signature water
bottle, book mark, and pencil) for them to take
home and show to their friends thanks to its
support from Palm Beach County Sheriff, Ric L.
Bradshaw. Mrs. Knowles stated, “It is an
excellent and well planned event. We hope to
continue sup-porting it and being part of it for
years to come.” She further stated,
“We’re very excited a-bout this
year’s event and all that the Kids’
Fitness Festival has to offer.”
Palm Beach County Sports Commission Executive Director,
Gerry Baron said, “Without the support of ICYG,
their professional team and volunteers, the golf
interest among the children in the event would not have
grown to its present success. We are very thankful for
their sincere donation of time over the past five
years.”
The festival itself gives children the opportunity to
learn and participate in over 40 different traditional
and non-traditional sports clinics to get hands on
experience and develop skills in areas such as archery,
badminton, baseball, basket-ball, bowling, chess,
cheer-leading, cricket, dance, fencing, field hockey,
fishing, football, golf, hockey, judo, karate,
lacrosse, netball, paint ball, power lifting, rugby,
running, soccer, squash, tennis, tae kwon do, surfing,
and many more.
Each clinic is conducted by a professional from that
sports area. The clinicians share techniques, enhance
skills, and provide an introduction to their sport.
The festival also features mascots, autograph sessions,
special guests, demonstrations, a gigantic bounce
house, rock-wall, mist tent, and much more. Local
companies can showcase their healthy lifestyle products
in their expo area as well. In attendance this past
year were sports franchises, facilities, the Florida
Marlins, and several professional athletes such as
Bennie Blades, Donnell Bennet, James Pruitt,
and Mike Rumph to name a few.
The festival is open to all individuals and groups. All
donations and proceeds benefit the Palm Beach County
Sports Commission, a non-profit organization that
provides local youths the opportunity to learn
sportsmanship, teamwork and citizenship through sport.
The Sports Commission also promotes character
development through sporting activities, lifelong
physical fitness, a drug-free lifestyle, safe, and fun
access to healthy activities. Please call (561)
233-3178 for information and to sign-up for the
“2009 Kids Fitness Festival.”
Congratulations to ICYG, the Palm Beach County Sports
Commission, other clinicians, Ronald McDonald House
Chari-ties, other sponsors and volunteers from Palm
Beach County Commissioner Priscilla Taylor's Office
(District 7), and the entire Westside Gazette newspaper
family.
(thewestsidegazette.com)