The foundation created head football coach Gary Patterson and his wife has donated $1,500 to fund four Super Bowl XLV SLANT 45 projects, a program that encourages elementary school children to participate and make a difference in their community.
The Gary Patterson Foundation announced the donation at a SLANT 45 function in early May at Clarke Elementary, located in Fort Worth, where four groups of 10-to-12 students have undertaken community projects. Kelsey Patterson, wife of Gary Patterson and the Foundation’s secretary and treasurer, hosted, while SuperFrog also attended the event as her guest.
The Clarke Elementary student involvement includes painting over gang graffiti prevalent in the neighborhood as well as a recycling program through which SLANT 45 donates the funds to SafeHaven of Tarrant County, a women and children’s shelter.
Other projects involve a campus beautification program that features planting flowers and improving the overall appearance of their school, and an anti-gang campaign inviting police officers to campus to discuss gangs in the neighborhood.
“Gary and I are excited about the SLANT 45 program because it energizes the youth of our communities,” Patterson said.
“Through SLANT 45, Super Bowl XLV will leave behind a legacy, something positive in our communities. I think we’ll be seeing the effects of Super Bowl XLV for years to come.”
With TCU, the Gary Patterson Foundation also introduced an incentive program for students to participate in SLANT 45. Elementary-aged students in the Fort Worth Independent School District and throughout Tarrant County can submit their service-learning ideas into a competition for funding and awards.
Any team that registers for the program by July 2 will be entered for a chance to receive a private tour of the TCU campus, a meet and greet during practice and a Horned Frog football game-day experience.
More than 5,000 elementary school students in the North Texas region have signed up for SLANT 45. The goal is 20,000.
The Gary Patterson Foundation is a tax-exempt, non-profit organization dedicated to the support of economically disadvantaged children as well as other charitable causes. The Foundation provides funding for programs and scholarships that focus on education, life skills and health and family issues.
Head football coach Gary Patterson and his wife, Kelsey, established the Gary Patterson Foundation in 2005.
To learn more about SLANT 45 and register, visit www.slant45.org or call (469) 621-8989.
For more coverage of the event by SLANT 45, click here.