NubAbility Athletic Foundation Sports Clinic

The NubAbility Athletic Foundation, a not-for-profit foundation that helps children with limb-loss, will host a clinic in conjunction with the Minnesota Twins on Dec. 30 at Hammond Stadium at the CenturyLink Sports Complex in Fort Myers. The clinic, “#DontNeed2 to Play Ball,” will provide amputees and children with limb loss from ages 4 to 17 with instruction and mentorship in baseball and softball. The event is sponsored by Ruby & Pearl’s Boutique & Yoga and the Mona Lisa Italian Restaurant in Fort Myers.

For a $10 registration fee, participants will receive a full day of training and guidance from NubAbility Head Coach Sam Kuhnert and other NubAbility baseball and softball coaches, who are all accomplished limb-different athletes. A variety of professional and collegiate players and coaches will assist with the coaching.

Participants will be divided into groups based on age and experience. Youth with upper-limb differences will focus on glove exchanges, batting stances and defensive maneuvers. Those with lower-limb differences will work on agility, footwork and batting stances. All athletes will be instructed according to their adaptive need on how to take their game to the next level in areas including pitching, hitting and fielding. “We’ll cover all the bases with these youth,” Kuhnert said. “When they leave at the end of the day, they’ll have learned new skills and new drills to continue to improve at home, and hopefully, they’ll walk away with the confidence to walk onto the field next season and shine.”

In addition to the other sponsors, the Stephanie Decker Foundation has made a $500 donation toward the clinic. Decker lost her legs as she protected her children from a tornado that devastated their Indiana home in 2012. She spent weeks in the hospital recovering, but she was standing on her prosthetic legs two months after the collapse of her home. Since then, she has traveled the country as a motivational speaker, inspiring groups to take on new challenges and discover their inner heroes. Her foundation has raised more than $80,000 to support children with prosthetic limbs pursue their athletic dreams. Decker is also one of ten finalists for the L’Oreal Paris “Women of Worth” contest, and if she wins, she will donate $5,000 to the NubAbility Athletic Foundation in support of their efforts.

The clinic runs from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Registration fees include lunch and commemorative keepsakes, including a T-shirt and wristband. While the event is focused on amputees and children with limb loss, the afternoon portion of the session, beginning at 12:30, will be open to all youth baseball and softball players for $25. To register for the camp, visit http://www.nubability.org and click on “Camps & Clinics.”

About NubAbility

NubAbility Athletic Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit that serves kids with limb-loss, congenitally or amputee, from ages 4 to 17. NubAbility’s goal is to get kids with limb differences out of the stands, off the bench and into the game. Participants leave full of newfound courage and confidence and with a motivation to succeed. Founded by Coach Sam Kuhnert, NubAbility works to encourage, inspire and instruct congenital and traumatic amputee kids. The coaching team includes over 25 limb-different athletes. For more information, visit http://www.nubability.org or the Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/NubAbility.

Hands Across the Harbor is a community walk, run, and biking event with the goal of bringing together Charlotte County residents to celebrate the natural beauty of the harbor.

Proceeds from the Hands Across the Harbor event will benefit the youth education programs at Alligator Creek, a facility of the Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center (CHEC) a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Over the past 20 years, over 2,000 students per year have participated in CHEC’s 4th Grade Field Studies programs and 2nd Grade Sea-grass Wading Adventures. Both programs have integrated classroom / field exercises that are state approved curriculum for FCAT testing.

Event registration will start at 6:45am
Yoga Warm Up Stretch 7:30am
5K Walk, 8K Run, 10 or 20 mile Ride and
8K Longboard Race Kick-off at 8:00am

Hosted by the Oak Hammock Middle School Reading Department, the 1st Annual Osprey 5K Race for Reading will be held on Saturday, January 17, 2015 on the campus of South Fort Myers High School. This is a fundraiser in support of the purchase of new books and materials for the Reading students of Oak Hammock Middle School.

Help us build up the classroom libraries at OHMS. Classroom Libraries tell students that independent reading is valued and encouraged. Classroom libraries should include books on a variety of topics, written at a range of reading levels, with at least 10 titles per student. They should also provide a wide range of genres, both fiction and nonfiction, and look for selections that reflect student cultures and interests. Your donation will go towards building these valuable resources for our students.

We all want bright, smart children, which is why we spend so much time choosing the right schools and making sure teachers are exceeding expectations. But remember: as a parent, you have the power to boost your children’s learning potential simply by making books an integral part of their lives.

Big Dave’s Polar Plunge

Lowdermilk Park at 9AM it’s Big Dave’s Polar Plunge where you join us for a brisk jump into the Gulf of Mexico! This can also be a free event if you prefer, but if you contribute a $20 donation you are supporting the Drug Court Kids who volunteer at many GCR events. Your donation also entitles you to a COOL Polar Plunge T-shirt with colored piping at the neck and sleeves. You can sign up for the Polar Plunge with the link below!

12th Annual River, Roots and Ruts Trail Run

This race will consist of a half marathon, 2 person relay, and a 5k fun run. To be held at Lee County’s Caloosahatchee Regional Park (CRP) which straddles N. River Road, CR 78, in Alva, Florida on Sunday, January 11, 2015. The Half Marathon and Relay course will utilize both sides of this scenic 785 acre park, while the 5K Fun Run will stay on the wider nature trails on the south side.

December is full of wonderful treats. There are even hills in Florida! You can find them at the Marco Hill run (17 of them!) on Saturday, December 20th with a race start of 8am.

Presented by the Gulf Coast Runners. Celebrate the holidays by running the toughest course at Marco Island Fl!

Race T-Shirt to first 250 entrants – Water on the course
Special glass awards to first 3 overall men and women
Special Lely Alumni Division

For more info head to the race site!

TO VIEW PHOTOS OF THE REINDEER RUN 5K CLICK HERE

Best Damn Race – Cape Coral

Dec. 14th, 2014

Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K

For more info & to register visit: http://capecoral.bestdamnrace.com/

This December, Naples will be host to a major youth football event. The 6^th, 7^th and 8^th grade champions will be crowned in the Football University (FBU) National Championships December 19-21, 2014.

The National Championship “Road to Naples” Tournament begins in 64 cities, with 192 teams vying for a chance at the Final Four. The tournament begins locally this weekend, December 6^th and 7^th, at Fleischmann Field, as the FBU Southwest Florida teams (6^th, 7^th and 8^th) hosts Broward County, Central Florida and Sarasota. The other regional sites are Seattle, Reno, Orange County, San Diego, Denver, Dallas, Des Moines, Austin, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Indiana, Northern Virginia, Kentucky, Atlanta, and West Palm Beach.

From December 19^th – 21^st, Naples High School and Fleischmann Park will be hosting a total of 14 games over three days. This event, produced by All American Games, is expected to draw in over 2,500 visitors and have an economic impact of over $3 million. In addition to the Final Four in each age bracket, there will be two East vs. West Eastbay Youth All American Bowl games. These All-Star games will be on December 20^that 4:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.; featuring 70 of the nation’s best seventh and eighth grade players.

The sixth grade and seventh grade FBU National Championship games will be broadcasted on ESPN3, while the final eighth grade game will be on NBC Sports Network at 3:30pm on Sunday December 21^st. Admission to all Championship week games at Fleischmann and Naples High School is free.

“It has been great working with all of our partners to make this event happen in Naples,” stated Collier County Senior Sports Marketing Manager, Chris O’Brien. “All American Games has been an outstanding partner as well as the Naples City Parks, Collier County Parks and Recreation and Naples High School. We are all working hard to make this is a special week for the youth teams, Eastbay All-stars and families coming to Naples.”

On December 21^st, please join us in a pregame event, entitled Celebration of Youth, leading up to the national live telecast. Youth organizations are eligible to participate in the pregame celebration. There will be prizes and a contest for the best banner presented at the event. Volunteer positions are still available for game day and registration. For more information about the “Road to Naples” FBU National Championship Weekend or the Celebration of Youth pregame event, please visit www.fbunc.com or http://www.paradisecoast.com/sports/fbufootball