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Sharpstown High School won a $100,000 customized sports equipment grant from Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Let’s Play, and Good Sports back in September, and now the new athletic gear has been delivered to the school. State Representative Gene Wu presented Sharpstown Principal Daniel De Leon with a congratulatory certificate during a school celebration on Dec. 14.
The school received new soccer balls, new goals for the soccer field, cones, and practice gear; a football five-man blocking sled with flags and uniform pants; starting blocks and training equipment for track; rackets and tennis balls for tennis and PE; gloves, bats, baseballs/softballs, and practice gear for the baseball/softball programs; and a wealth of other PE equipment ranging from hula hoops to jump ropes to medicine balls to floor hockey equipment.
“We tried to support all types of athletic activities that would motivate kids TO PLAY and be more active,” said Coach Carlos Quintero, who spearheaded the winning campaign.
After the field had been narrowed down to 20 schools from across the country, voting opened on Facebook on Sept. 8. Sharpstown made the top 10, then the top three, and finally were selected by a committee to win the grand prize. Let’s Play is an initiative launched in 2011 by Dr Pepper Snapple Group to provide the tools, places, and inspiration to make play a daily priority. Good Sports gives all kids the lifelong benefit of sport and physical activity by providing equipment, apparel, and footwear to those most in need.
“The big theme of the Let’s Play initiative is to make kids be more active (no matter the skill level) and play,” Quintero said. See Click2Houston’s video here, which captures the moment the coach and students found out they won, as well as part of the video that won them the prize.