Disney GOALS

GOALS (Growth Opportunities through Athletics, Learning, and Service) is a nonprofit organization based in Anaheim, California, which offers programs to aid low income children in the Anaheim area. GOALS is currently headquartered in central Anaheim and has community partnerships organized in 12 greater Anaheim communities in the city of Anaheim, the city of Placentia and the city of Fullerton.

Origins

GOALS was originally established in 1994 as an outgrowth of the Walt Disney Company's acquisition of the then named Mighty Ducks of Anaheim professional hockey franchise. Since then, this not-for-profit program has expanded into many low-income communities, fielding a combination of educational enrichment, team and fitness-oriented athletics, and community service activities where GOALS youth help others. While GOALS is by far the worldwide leader in providing ice hockey access for minority children,^{[citation needed]} the program has taken major strides in other sports opportunities such as lacrosse, soccer, tennis and roller hockey. Currently, the program involves more than 2,000 youth ages six to nineteen each year. GOALS operates indoor and outdoor facilities and a bus fleet, and provides all necessary equipment, insurance, coaching, teaching, and supplies all at no charge to participating youth. GOALS organizes activities within designated under served communities and links those areas to central GOALS facilities with a community bus network. One of the hallmarks of the GOALS program is that youth are required to serve through a "Summer of Service" in an innovative arm of the program called GOALS Cadets. This initiative leads efforts to read storybooks to children in school, clean up parks, paint out graffiti, through a program called GOALS CityPride, coach disabled young people through GOALS Special Sports, visit veterans at local VA hospitals, and pack food for local food distribution centers that support the poor.

GOALS growth

In 2005, GOALS began a strategic expansion in close partnership with the city of Anaheim, with the opening of GOALS Gardens, an adaptive reuse of the indoor Martin Recreation Center in Anaheim's La Palma Park. This 8,000-square-foot (740 m²) indoor center was renamed and renovated with an indoor rink and has become the home for roller hockey, indoor soccer, and some adaptive recreation utilizing ringette hockey as a feature sport. GOALS expanded a bus fleet to meet increased geographic growth into neighboring cities adjoining Anaheim and ferries hundreds of low income youth daily to and from GOALS facilities. In 2009, GOALS dropped the "Disney" from its name as a joint decision made by both organizations. The entertainment corporate giant still provides some support to the community based organization with the hope that other regional entities will expand their level of support for the betterment of low income children and families.

Dreamscape development

In 2010, GOALS opened the 28,000-square-foot (2,600 m²) Dreamscape, which features two championship tennis courts, circumferential track for jogging and fitness, a 6,000-square-foot (560 m²) artificial turf arena for field sports, a small community garden, and a 1,400-square-foot (130 m²) fitness gym with anaerobic fitness equipment. The McCarthy Construction Company led a group of 37 construction and design firms to create this mufti-million dollar facility as a massive community service project. Plans are underway to develop a major second phase: Dreamscape Too, with a basketball center, volleyball center and synthetic ice skating rink on a nearby 28,600-square-foot (2,660 m²) land parcel in north central Anaheim.

External links

• Official site