KASSIM'S 2007 COMMUNITY EVENTS

2007 – Kassim hosts & participates in a number of fundraising & special event programs during his off-season such as:

Ø  Monthly Children Hospital visits he hosted with teammates

Ø  Monthly visits to local schools to motivate youth to stay in school and stay of drugs with Teammate Cletis Gordon’s “Sober Youth #24” mentorship program

Ø  Clear Channel & Shea Homes “Jr. Bolt Readers” program

NATIONAL & COMMUNITY HONORS:

Ø  2006 San Diego Community Man of the year award from the city of San Diego

Ø  2007 Jose A. Cota Award for Merit by San Diego Police Historical Association

Ø  2007 UPLIFTING Citizens of San Diego award - from UPLIFT of San Diego local outreach programs serving students, seniors and homeless

Ø  2007 NFL & MVP Home Depot Field Refurbishment Award Winner

COMMUNITY SPORTS ACTIVITIES:

Ø  Team KO Celebrity Golf Tourney – Raised $80,000: to provide 10 $1,000 scholarships for at-risk high school students & purchase 80 tickets to every Chargers home game in the Chargers Community Corner; tickets donated to at-risk youth from San Diego County Schools who improve & meet the academic & citizenship goals their teachers set

Ø  Camp Castillo – Tijuana, Mexico – Teammate Luis Castillo hosted an activity based Life skills & Team building 2 day camp - funds raised from sponsors to provide on & off field football equipment for student-athletes after school programs in Tijuana, Mexico

Ø  Drayton Florence’s Youth Sports Camp  - funds raised from event to provide scholarships for low-income & at-risk youth to attend the Camp

Ø  Camp Leon '07 – Activity based Life skills & Team building 2 day camp

Ø  Spanos Golf Tournament - Funds raised for Chargers Community Corner support low-income & at-risk youth attending home Chargers games

Ø  Shoot to Cure – Chargers PR director Bill Johnston hosts an annual event - Funds raised for Funding a cure for Huntington’s Disease support

Ø  After school Physical Activity program – Keiller Language Academy – Kassim personally donated $20,000 to provide scholarships for at-risk 7th & 8th graders from low-income homes to attend college in 2010 & 2011

Ø  Weekly Monday night “Bowling w/ KO”  - Kassim invites at-risk youth participating in his mentorship programs from local middle schools to “hangout” w/ him & some of his NFL friends from the Chargers organization as a reward for continued improved academics & citizenship

Ø  Brighter Futures through Fitness Mentorship program - Through Team KO and in partnership with Councilmember Hueso, Athletes for Education and San Diego Chargers teammate Luis Castillo, Kassim co-created “Brighter Futures through Fitness.”   This program provides scholarships for at-risk & low-income youth to participate in after-school & weekend sports activities, that due to financial limitations, these kids would not normally be able to participate in.

To date the Brighter Futures through Fitness Mentorship program has raised $45,000. We provide health and fitness organizations in San Diego’s District 8 to serve youth who are at risk of diabetes and obesity. District Eight statistically has been hit the hardest by the nation’s epidemic of youth obesity. 

Kassim and his partners viewed this as a “call to action” to really make a difference in these children’s lives.  The partnership will work to reduce youth obesity and diabetes by bringing greater awareness of the importance of a healthy lifestyle through public service announcements, increasing contact with positive mentors, providing financial support and encouraging participation in sports and fitness programs. 

Brighter Futures through Fitness will appeal to youth through the concept that fitness is fun, socially acceptable, and financially feasible.  Where financial aid is required, Brighter Futures will assist youth by providing assistance for membership fees, competition or recreational event participation fees, sporting equipment, health classes, training and educational programs and recreational outings.

 TEAM KO:

Kassim hosts and participates in events sponsored by the Chargers as well as on his own for his program Team KO.  He is a true example to describe the meaning of the word “Community Man” as is shown from his events & activities for youth and his community for the intrinsic value only…  His focus is on improving the quality of life for our youth and their families…  He just simply enjoys life and shares that philosophy with everyone he meets…

Kassim created Team KO, mentorship & scholarship program to as he states "take over" San Diego. By "take over," we mean getting involved directly with as many children in San Diego with our rewards & incentives mentorship programs as possible, in order to influence them and encourage them to pursue success.  Success does not come cheap. Hard work is what pays off and we want our youth to realize youth to realize and visualize what it takes to achieve the goals they set for themselves. 

Team KO recognizes and rewards youth who succeed in the classroom and who come from hard working families.   His mentorship program collaborates with teachers from San Diego City Schools high and middle schools and directors from youth organizations that will assist in identifying students who excel in the classroom and who come from families that may not have the means to purchase tickets to Chargers games.  Kassim personally delivered 80 tickets to selected students the Tuesday before Chargers 2007 season home games as a reward for continued improvement in their literacy & citizenship goals.                

Kassim believes that youth programs need more than financial support for their survival….  They need the day in & day out blue-collar workers that are in the trenches supporting kids; constantly encouraging and rewarding them for their improvements and successes…  Our Teachers…  Our Coaches…  Our Counselors…  Our Parents & Mentors...  The true Blue-Collar workers in our society who are dedicated to improving the future of our youth …    

Kassim was an un-drafted rookie that has been in the league for 5 years…  Each year he believes he needs to do more for youth & his community…  He lives his life by this simple code…   If you have a lot give a lot…  If you have a little give what you can…  He spends countless hours w/ kids sharing his love and testimonials…  Feeding them examples of his many life experiences...  He teaches youth that rewards are only earned by taking risks.     

Once or twice a month during the off-season Kassim joins Dick Lewis, Head of security for the San Diego Chargers, with their band the “Time Out Band”; performing at local convalescent homes for birthday parties and general celebrations.

Kassim regularly visits elementary, middle & high school in the southern California area on his day of to motivate kids to make smart decision in school, to take part in local community service opportunities , increasing classroom participation, improving their work ethic, college planning & team building activities.  

Kassim shot 6 different Public Service Announcements for KGTV ABC affiliate in San Diego & Azteca America San Diego Channel 43; 4 different Public Service Announcements for XETV Channel 12 in Mexico for their literacy & Holiday toy drive; 6 Public Service Announcements for FOX networks promoting literacy programs that stress reading to your kids.

Kassim on a regular basis spend his Thursdays feeding the homeless in downtown SD…

Some of the programs & events Kassim has supported and attended:

Ø  Spokesperson for the DARE & Danger Stranger programs

Ø  StarPal luncheon - $80,000 raised for community youth programs run out of StarPal’s offices

Ø  Hosts his Holiday party  - Giving away food & toys to over 350 at-risk & low-income kids & families in 2006 & for 2007 Kassim is hosting 4 Holiday parties giving away toys & food to over 2,000 at-risk & low-income kids & families      

Kassim has a program that functions under the non-profit umbrella of Athletes for Education; a San Diego based 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization: www.afefoundation.org

Kassim’s program name is Team KO - The mission statement is:

To bring athletes, entertainers and community leaders together to serve as positive role models & mentors to help achieve our goal of:  “Helping our Youth Help Themselves” through my reward & incentive driven mentorship & scholarship programs.

What makes Team KO unique from other non-profit organizations?

Kassim’s foundation’s ability to match the needs of our youth with athletes, entertainers and community leaders as mentors sets us apart from other organizations and provides us with the unique ability to achieve our mission. 

We serve low-income & at-risk youth and families. Some of the core messages Kassim through “Team KO” communicates to our youth are:  Be Creative, Build Bridges Instead of Walls and Dare to Dream.  We know that young people respond positively when role models (they admire and respect) take an active interest in their personal abilities and talents.  Within Team KO’s programs, our mentors challenge youth to persevere and believe that with incremental steps of achievement they can make their dreams come true.   

 

TEAM KO KIDS PROGRAMS & EVENTS

Team KO programs are motivated by three components—mentorship, incentives and rewards.  Let’s face it; we live in a world of competition.  Hand-outs rarely come in life and success is dependent upon achievement.  We believe that in order to motivate our youth for success, we must provide effective mentors, incentives and rewards for achievement. 

Tickets for Tomorrow

“Tickets for Tomorrow” is an Athletes for Education program which rewards children for achieving academic and citizenship goals set by their teachers. Since 2003 Team KO has partnered with local businesses and corporations to provide opportunities for more than 3,200 students to attend professional sporting and recreational events.  These events include: SD Chargers & Padres tickets, concerts, trips to the San Diego Zoo, San Diego Wild Animal Park, Disneyland, SeaWorld and more.

Holidays for Youth

During the 2006 holiday seasons, Team KO distributes toys to children and provided food to families in need throughout San Diego. For Easter holiday, we provided a warm meal and stuffed bunnies for children. During the month of December, Kassim partners with a number of local restaurants to provide his “Holiday’s for Youth” events. For these events, Kassim gives a way toys for children and provide food for families where Santa Claus and his elves, along with Kassim’s fellow athletes, work together to make the holiday season memorable for every child.

In December 2006 Kassim and some of his teammates from the Chargers hosted Holiday parties that served more than 3,000 children & families from the Neighborhood House & MAAC projects Head Start & Early Head Start programs.  Each child received a warm meal, a toy of their choosing, and lots of hugs and attention from our volunteers: and of course there were lot’s of autographs for everyone in attendance at each of the 6 events.

For 2007, Kassim has already hosted 3 Holiday parties serving over 2,000 kids & families with 2 more Holidays parties remaining where he will be serving over 1,200 more at-risk kids & low-income families; participated in 6 of his teammates Holiday events serving over 1,500 more low-income & at-risk in the San Diego area…