SPHS Seniors Fundraise For Youth Sports

A group of Severna Park High School students led by seniors Ben Freedman and Andy Glesmann spent their fall semester orchestrating a service project raising money and sports equipment donations for Leveling the Playing Field (LPF) to give underprivileged kids a chance to play sports.

LPF was established in 2013 to help alleviate the widening gap in sports participation, caused in large part by the cost of equipment for those struggling financially. The founder, Max Levitt, realized that a great deal of equipment goes to waste as kids grow out of it or stop playing the sport it’s for and created what they refer to as a “food bank for sports equipment.” LPF’s solution is to collect new and gently used sports and playground equipment from local communities and distribute it to schools and other organizations that can distribute the equipment to those who need it.

The project was done through Severna Park High School’s Leadership Institute. The Leadership Institute is a three-semester program that teaches students important skills for leadership and project management that culminates in a service project known for making an impact in local communities.

Ben, Andy and the rest of their team worked hard to connect with the community to collect monetary and equipment donations. They put posters with donation links around the school, made informative posts on multiple social media platforms, and reached out to family, friends and other members of the community. Additionally, they volunteered in person at LPF’s Baltimore warehouse where they sorted equipment with other volunteers.