The St. Louis Rams organization also places a high
priority on community involvement and volunteerism. Below
are programs in which the Rams are actively involved. For
information on how you too can make a difference in the St. Louis
community, visit stl-cares.org or jointheteam.com.
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Cornerstone Programs
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In
order to provide the greatest impact to the bi-state area, the
St. Louis Rams Foundation focuses the majority of its
resources on the following cornerstone
programs, designed to positively impact youth in the
areas of education, literacy, health and youth
football.
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Community First
Cornerstone Program
Community First allows
schools and non-profit youth organizations the opportunity to earn tickets
to Rams home games by “putting the community first”
and developing and implementing community service
projects. The program goes beyond a simple
volunteer initiative to encourage service learning, a teaching
method that integrates community service into academic instruction.
Through service learning, the students address community needs while
strengthening their mastery of academic subjects and good
citizenship skills. The ultimate goal of the program is to expose
kids to the benefits of volunteerism and instill a desire to
contribute beyond this project. The program has generated more than
25,000 hours of community service since its inception in
1998.
Community
First Letter
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Diversity
Awareness Partnership
Cornerstone Program
An organization
with a long tradition of embracing diversity, the Rams
were the first professional sports team in the modern era to sign
an African-American player - even before Jackie Robinson broke the color
barrier in Major League Baseball. Years later, the team
remains committed to promoting diversity and inclusion. After
helping launch the Diversity Awareness Partnership (DAP) in 2000, the
Rams continue to unite organizations in the effort to reduce
bias and discrimination, and promote the value of difference among the people
of St. Louis. An example of this collaboration is the Edward Jones’
Give Respect - Get Respect Youth Program that has engaged middle and high
school students, teachers and members of today’s workforce in this
pursuit of acceptance. For more, visit makeadifferencestlouis.org
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Emerging
Leaders
Cornerstone Program
In 2002, the St. Louis Rams and Rams Foundation initiated a new
educational initiative entitled the St. Louis Rams Emerging Leaders
Program. The objective of the program, which is facilitated by
the Coro Leadership Center – St. Louis, is to provide St.
Louis area high school juniors an opportunity to understand the
daily operations of business and community organizations. During
the program, students observe a variety of different occupations,
receive specialized training, develop leadership skills important
to their future professional lives and build relationships with
students from diverse high schools.
For more information, call (314)
516-4990.
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Huddle Up
Cornerstone Program
The St. Louis Rams and
CHARACTERplus have joined together to help educators integrate
character building into classroom curricula. A web site has
been developed that provides resources for classroom teachers
including lesson plans. Teachers will also have an opportunity
to compete in a contest to recognize outstanding lesson plans that
integrate character into core academics. To learn more about Huddle
Up, please visit http://www.characterplus.org/huddleup.
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Rams Reader
Team/ Literacy
Initiatives
Cornerstone Program
The Rams place a high priority on literacy
and partner with area organizations to increase interest in
reading, provide free books for underserved communities and
train tutors. Rams partners include Metropolitan Association
of Public Libraries (MAPL), First Book — St. Louis, Literacy
Investment for Tomorrow (LIFT — Missouri), the Missouri State
Library and A Book In Every Home (Illinois). The Rams also
encourage youth to tackle reading by joining the Rams
Reader Team
. The program —
sponsored by ClarksonEyecare — targets kids from kindergarten to high
school, and encourages them to visit their local library, sign up to be
a Rams Reader Team member, and choose a book from the
reading list created from suggestions by the St. Louis Rams football
players and head coach Scott Linehan. To reinforce the importance
of literacy, each week during the program, players visit libraries
and schools to read to children.
Download
Rams Reading List | Participating
Libraries
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St.
Louis Public Schools Rams Fitness Team
Cornerstone Program
The Rams and St. Louis Public Schools have collaborated to create
the Rams Fitness Team, a program that includes a flag football
curriculum, training sessions with Rams personnel and a component
on nutrition and lifetime fitness. The Rams Fitness Team also
recognizes the importance of physical education teachers in today’s
schools, through the Physical Education Teacher of the Year program.
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Youth
Football
Cornerstone Program
The Rams have joined with the NFL to identify opportunities to
enhance, promote and recognize positive aspects of football at
every level. The team, along with the local chapter of
the National Football Foundation, has led the way in creating
an Amateur Football Council, designed to support organizations
committed to amateur football and to promote youth development,
sportsmanship and academic excellence through youth football. As
part of these efforts, the Rams host two training seminars: the
Scott Linehan High School Coaching Clinic and the NFL/National Football
Foundation (NFF) Coaching Academy. Additional efforts include
saluting the accomplishments of local high school coaches through
the Coach of the Week program, recognizing divisional winners
at Rams home games and awarding grants to local youth football
groups.
Click here
for more on Rams
youth football initiatives (.pdf).
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Rams/NFL
Programs
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partnership with National Football League (NFL) Charities,
the Rams deliver the following programs dedicated to the
mission of investing in youth education, youth mentorship
and physical fitness initiatives. |
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Community
Quarterback
NFL Program
Funded by NFL Charities in partnership with the St. Louis Rams Foundation,
the Rams/NFL Community Quarterback Award recognizes and rewards outstanding
community volunteers who demonstrate leadership, dedication and a commitment
to bettering their communities. Each year, the program makes financial contributions
to St. Louis area community organizations served by these outstanding volunteers.
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Grassroots
Football Fields Grants
NFL Program
The Grassroots Football Fields initiative is funded by NFL club owners, and
administered in partnership with the Local Initiatives Support Corporation
(LISC). The initiative provides non-profit, neighborhood-based organizations
with financing and technical assistance to improve the quality and safety of
local football fields and parks. In conjunction with this effort, the Rams have
helped provide more than $200,000 to renovate area fields at Matthews-Dickey
Boys Club, Herbert Hoover Boys and
Girls Club, the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Boys and Girls Club and Forest Park’s
Aviation Field.
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Hometown
Huddle
NFL Program
Introduced in 1999, Hometown Huddle is a day for NFL players and coaches from
all 32 teams to come together and participate in various community service
activities through their local United Way partners. In addition to this specific
league wide initiative, the Rams continue to show their leadership and commitment
to the United Way of Greater St. Louis throughout the year and have donated
more than $350,000 since moving to St. Louis in 1995.
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Play
It Smart
NFL Program
The Rams, through the NFL Youth Football Fund, have provided grants totaling
$100,000 to the Vashon High School and University City High School Play It
Smart programs as part of a $1 million commitment by the NFL and its clubs
over two years. Play It Smart is a unique program that uses the game of football
to assist students with personal development, decision-making, responsibility
and leadership skills. The objective of the program is to strengthen students’ academic
and life skills as well as physical abilities.
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Special Events And Programs
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Coach of the Week
NFL
Program
The US Army and the St. Louis Rams have
partnered to reward outstanding high
school football coaches
throughout the Metro St. Louis area. Each week throughout
a
ten-week period, the US Army and the Rams will announce a Coach of
the Week
who will receive a cash donation to their high school
football program, tickets to a Rams
game, recognition at a Rams
home game during the 2007 season, and the opportunity to
be
selected as the US Army – St. Louis Rams High School Coach of the
Year.
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addition to the Rams cornerstone and NFL programs, the team
invests in the St. Louis community through sponsorship and
participation in the following special events and Programs. |
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Angel
Tree Holiday Party
Special Event
During the holidays, the Rams team up with the Bar Association of Metropolitan
St. Louis (BAMSL) to open the Edward Jones Dome for more than 4,000 underprivileged
children. The kids enjoy holiday gifts, live entertainment, a book corner,
activity booths, arts and crafts and visits with Santa. Rams players, wives,
cheerleaders and staff are actively involved as volunteers.
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Back
to School Store
Special Event
Rams women have joined honorary chairs - La'Roi and Spring Glover - to assist in
the annual Back to School Store. The project is sponsored by the National Council
of Jewish Women-St. Louis Section and provides 400 elementary school students
from low-income families with new clothing, winter coats, shoes, backpacks,
personal care items, and school supplies – free of charge. The children
are selected by St. Louis area social service agencies and congregations. In
addition to clothing and school supplies, children receive free dental screenings
as well as free books, as part of the Rams'' literacy efforts.
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Bikes
for Kids
Special Event
The St. Louis Rams support the St. Louis
Variety Club by hosting the annual Bikes for Kids program, which provides
bicycles to low-income children. This year, 300 children from 19 local agencies
received their own bike, helmet, lock and T-shirt at a special “bike build”
at the Edward Jones Dome. Bikes for Kids recipients were also invited to
be special guests at a Rams home game. To date, Bikes for Kids has provided
bikes for 1,550 children.
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Bowl-a-RAM-a
Special Event
The Rams have helped to raise more than $130,000 through Bowl-a-RAM-a, an annual
event that benefits the Epilepsy Foundation of St. Louis. Through prevention,
education and advocacy, the Epilepsy Foundation enables people with seizures
to participate in all life experiences. The proceeds raised from this event
benefit the communities of eastern and southern Missouri as well as southeastern
Illinois.
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Everyday
Heroes
Special Event
Recognizing the
significant daily contributions of our nations’ military, as well
as the St. Louis metropolitan area police and fire departments, the Rams have
honored these “everyday heroes” in a variety of ways over the
past several years, including in-game salutes and visits to the Russell Training Center.
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Giant
Steps
Special Event
Each year, Rams
executive vice president and general counsel, Bob Wallace opens up
the Edward Jones Dome for the annual Giant Steps at St. Louis
Dinner/Auction benefitting autism education. For more
information about Giant Steps, call (314) 989-7850 or email giantstp@concentric.net
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Komen
St. Louis Race for the Cure
Special Event
Each summer, Rams players participate in the Komen St. Louis Race for the Cure
to benefit the St. Louis Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.
Rams rookies congratulate participants and hand out roses to breast cancer
survivors as they cross the finish line.
Steven Jackson and his family participated
as honorary chairs of the event in 2006, and helped to
make the St. Louis Race the largest in the world.
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Linemen
In Motion
Special Event
Each year, the Rams offensive line serves Thanksgiving dinner to families in
need.
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Rams/Purina Pets First
Special
Program
The Rams and
Purina have teamed up to create Pets’ First, a partnership that
shares a passion and commitment for the well being of animals. For
each successful Rams third down conversion this season, the Rams and
Purina Give A Bowl will donate one hundred bowls of pet food to
local animal welfare organizations. Purina Give A Bowl rewards
animal welfare organizations for their help in saving the lives of
homeless pets. For more details on how you can get involved, visit
www.GiveABowl.com
. The Rams and Purina; turning success on the field
into better care and adoption of homeless
pets.
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Rams
Cheerleaders
Special Event
Although mostly recognized for their
entertaining performaces on the sidelines, the Rams Cheerleaders are
also very active in the community maiking more than 500 appearances
at corporate, private and charitable events throughout the year.
This year, the cheerleaders are donating a portion of their calendar
proceeds to the St. Louis Rams Foundation. Buy a Rams
Cheerleader calendar
online.
> Request
Rams Cheerleaders for your event
> Visit the
Rams Cheerleaders section
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Rams
Rookie Club
Special Event
The Rams Rookie Club provides service to the community through a variety of
volunteer efforts designed specifically for first year players.
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Make-A-Wish Celebrity Server Dinner
Special
Event
The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Metro St. Louis
and the Rams have been teaming up each year to make wishes come true for local children since the team
arrived in St. Louis in 1995. Rams players assist in Make-A-Wish’s fundraising efforts by “working”
as celebrity servers. Over the years, the event has raised more
than $820,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
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Blood Drive
Special Event
In cooperation
with the American Red Cross, the Rams host an annual blood
drive. As part of the festivities, donors have the opportunity to mingle
with Rams players and wives, watch a Rams highlight video and receive a commemorative
T-shirt. Since the program’s inception in 2000, the Rams have helped
collect more than 2,462 units of blood.
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Taste
of the NFL - St. Louis
Special Event
Each year, the Rams host the Taste of the NFL-St.
Louis, a food and wine tasting extravaganza, featuring samples from St. Louis’ top
restaurants and beverage providers. Attendees are able to sample specialty foods, bid
on unique items and meet the participating chefs and various Rams players. Taste
of the NFL-St. Louis has raised over $350,000 for the St. Louis Area
Foodbank and the St. Louis Sports Commission.
Six-time Pro-Bowl defensive lineman La'Roi Glover served as the honorary chair
for the Taste in 2006 and 2007.
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Urban
League Thanksgiving Project
Special Event
Annually, the Rams players, cheerleaders and staff work with the Urban League
of St. Louis and Schnucks Markets to distribute more than 1,000 turkey dinners
to local families for Thanksgiving.
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