Nike and the LA84 Foundation are donating $4 million to renew 84 play surfaces and improve the quality of youth sports in Los Angeles. The new and refurbished play surfaces will help rejuvenate communities by creating spaces for children to play so they can lead healthy and active lifestyles.

Today in downtown Los Angeles, world-class athletes Serena Williams and Paul Rodriguez, Jr. join LA84 Foundation president and Board of Directors member Anita L. DeFrantz in formally announcing this pledge. The backdrop – Nike’s “Let Me Play” painted billboard on the Hotel Figueroa Wall – is perfect for the occasion. Painted in September 2007, the wall features Williams, Rodriguez and Kobe Bryant playing a variety sports with youth from the Hollenbeck Youth Center, the East Los Angeles Boys and Girls Club and the Salvation Army Red Shield.

The mission of Nike’s Let Me Play initiative in L.A. and in other cities is to unleash human potential through sport and to reclaim play, one field, one court, one place at time. In the same way, the LA84 Foundation strives to serve youth through sport and to increase knowledge of sport and its impact on people’s lives. If you and your organization share this dream and are residents of Southern California, learn more about the LA84 Foundation and find out how you can apply for a grant for refurbished/new play surfaces.