Police leaping to help children through sports
Published: July 27, 2006
A new program initiated by the Hoffman Estates Police Benevolent Fund is giving children the opportunity to find more positive outlets through sports.
LEAP (Law Enforcement Athletics Program) will provide after-school seasonal activities for children in the community. With help from the Hoffman Estates Park District and local school officials, the program will begin with a football and cheerleading campaign in the fall and continue with lacrosse and basketball in the spring.
This summer, a football camp was held Sunday afternoons at Sycamore Park to get the players ready for the fall season.
Officer Mark Mueller, president of Police Benevolent Fund, said this is the inaugural season for the program.
“It’s at the infancy stages, and it will continue to grow from here,” Mueller said. The group is getting information from school counselors, Health and Human Services and by word of mouth to find children to participate Some parents have signed their children up on their own.
“We’re targeting at-risk kids in town,” Mueller said.
Several of the coaches are police officers, according to Mueller. Other officers often come out to the games and help drive the players to practices. LEAP football teams are intermixed with other community football program teams, all which had their first practices Monday.
A. J. Halvorsen, 9, of Hoffman Estates, has been in the football league for three years.
“I like having fun and working on football drills and stuff,” he said.
A.J. said he knows most of the people on the team already, but is looking forward to the season. He is excited to be a part of the LEAP program because “it like helps out the community.”
Joey McIntyre, 8, also of Hoffman Estates, said he is excited to meet new people and make friends.
“I’m glad that I joined it, and I’m gonna play (football) for a few more years,” he said. “It’s gonna be so much fun.”
The Police Benevolent Fund is a not-for-profit organization consisting solely of members of the Hoffman Estates Police Department. Its mission is to help disabled officers or a fallen officer’s family as well as assisting with community-based programs involving disadvantaged children or parents.
In addition to the LEAP program, the group sponsors Shop With a Cop to help children buy Christmas gifts, as well as Breakfast With the Books in which children can have breakfast while being tutored.
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