Dig 4 Kids Foundation Program Summary
Achievements: Many of these achievements are possible because of the great support we get from others.
- Over Nineteen Years of community service providing kids with positive options on life challenges.
- Forty 8-week “Digging Education” programs completed.
- Twenty Nine Kerri Walsh EVA (Excellence in Volleyball and Academics) Scholarships have been awarded to high school seniors.
- More than 3,465 children were tutored and taught the basic skills of volleyball.
- Over 905 hours of instruction by Staff of 55 Professional Volleyball Players, 510 High School Players, and over 200 Volunteer Tutors.
- Over $1,138,000 has been raised for under-served children
- Thirteen “Summer Celebration” and “Winter Warmth” fundraising events successfully staged.
- Six D4K Golf Tournaments completed.
- Three 6-week Summer Surf Instruction Camps
- Seven Dig 4 Jimmy “Surf & Turf” Events
- Six “Day at the Beach Events” bringing 1200+ inner-city children for fun-filled activities, lunch, and a message that anything is possible if you work hard
Digging Education Achievements:
Dig 4 Kids is proud to have successfully completed Forty separate “Digging Education” programs in Carson, Hawthorne, and Venice, California, two in Florida and one in Washington since its inception in January 2000. Each program includes up to 100 students who attend an eight-week after-school program. For three hours each week, these children receive 2 hours of academic tutoring and an hour of exercise with volleyball instructions from College graduate pro athletes, high school teachers, high school volleyball players, and honor students. In addition, gold medalist and D4K founder Eric Fonoimoana offer motivational lessons and instruction on discipline, the setting and achievement of goals, and the importance of becoming an asset to their communities. The 1-7 ratio of instructors to students allows extensive one-on-one attention in both the classroom and the gym. At the end of each spring session, local high school students are chosen to each receive a $1000 Kerri Walsh EVA (Excellence in Volleyball and Academics) scholarship award. This financial aid helps these students continue with their secondary education. Funding also goes to our Club Volleyball Scholarship Program through the SCVC (Southern California Volleyball Club) or MLBVBC (Mizuno Long Beach) programs where D4K and SCVC/MLBVBC pay the majority of the cost for the D4K athlete to be able to compete with the best players in the country.
In the future, as our operations streamline and our fund-raising efforts increase, D4K plans to expand the “Digging Education” program to many other inner-city areas around Southern California and the United States.
