AC Sandhills would like your consideration in helping our players and families-in-need, through a donation to the Howard Carpenter Financial Assistance Fund. This fund is to help give back to players, within our organization, whose families are not fortunate enough to support the cost associated with our programs.

AC Sandhills (a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization) is one of the North Carolina’s lowest priced clubs, in comparison to other organizations, that offer the same or less programming. However, there are still fixed costs that go into every offer we make available to children ages 3-18. These costs are associated with outside entities that make it possible for us to compete. In the past year and a half, the club has allocated more than $35,000.00 to families in the form of  financial assistance. Unfortunately, as much as we would like to, we cannot cover all of these expenditures, as an organization, on our own anymore. With the continual increase in these outside fixed costs, we feel it is important to allow all youth the ability to play, despite their financial situation. In order to accomplish this mission we need help.

Our main goals, in ensuring no player is left behind, is to ensure youth have  the opportunity to be in a healthful, active environment, lowering the chance for juvenile delinquency; as well as, to help create a solid pathway for our youth to actualize the importance of a higher education. Teaching healthful living is more important than ever, with a 30% childhood obesity rate in Moore county; the need for positive, athletic outlets is great. Furthermore, 22% of children in Moore county live below the poverty level and more than 46% receive free or reduced price meals at school. Therefore, the need to combat these issues, through the HCFA fund, is great.

Moreover, in a research paper titled “Positive Youth Justice,” by Jeffrey A. Butts, Gordan Bazemore and Aundra Saa Meroe, in conjunction with the Coalition for Juvenile Justice, the six key practice domains in the Positive Youth Justice Model are: (1) work; (2) education; (3) relationships; (4) community; (5) health; and (6) creativity. Through AC Sandhills sports and activities, all six of these core domains are contributed to in a very positive and effective manner. Giving players the opportunity to be a part of a team, a club, and ultimately a community, ACS is at the forefront of offering at-risk-players an opportunity for success.

Furthermore, we pride ourselves in our ability to offer youth the tools and experiences necessary to succeed at a higher level. Year in and year out, we see players graduate from our system and continue on to the collegiate ranks, as an athlete and/or student. For those athletes who graduate out of the club’s programming, a $10,000 (or more) need based scholarship has been established, by a private donor, to help our players continue to achieve success. As a club, we hope to create more college scholarship opportunities for our hard working student-athletes.

It is with these core components in mind, that the Howard Carpenter Financial Assistance Fund now exists. The ultimate goal of the fund is to continue to build enough support, through donations, to allow more players-in-need the opportunity to play, without having to raise ACS club fees across the board; along with college scholarships for those that graduate our organization and realize their dream of higher learning. We wish to give back to the families that make-up the ACS community.

AC Sandhills is a 501(c)3, donations made to the club are tax deductible. There are many ways to give, including monthly and annual donation commitments. Those who wish to make an annual commitment of $250.00 or more, and those who wish to make a monthly commitment of $25.00 or more, will receive acknowledgment on our website. Thank you for your consideration and support, as we continue to help make the youth of our community more successful through sport.