Amare Sanders Give Miami Day Match

It is the goal of every nonprofit agency serving children, youth and families to cultivate an ecosystem of support which nurtures and inspires them to engage and serve within their own community. On a beautiful in Miami, Amare Sanders, the young altruist stopped by to share an amazing gift of $5,000 for our small youth-based program. Amare met with a few of our kids on our football field to discuss super sizing your dreams, “Dream Big” he stated, and “remain true to yourselves, always”.  

“I’m not surprised, Amare has always given back, he’s paid for football and cheer registrations every summer using his earnings from his summer job. This year he gifted one of our young first graders at Frederick Douglass Elementary School with everything she needed to return to school this year. Giving back is in his D.N.A. stated Executive Director, Ieshia Haynie.”  Amare stated, “I want the places that loved and nurtured me to know that the relationship doesn’t end for me, it only grows.” 

In December 2023, scholar athlete, Amare Sanders hosted a commitment ceremony at his childhood youth sports club, the Overtown Optimist Club. Amare had acquired an amazing list of offers from universities, and following an array of school visits, his top 5 included the University of Louisville, the University of Miami, UVA, Duke University and the University of Nebraska. Each institution offered great promise, with one standing out to not only him, but to his family as well. Amare will continue his scholarly pursuits at the University of Nebraska while continuing to be a student of the gridiron with the Nebraska Huskers.

 Overtown Optimist Club has a mission of increasing student and family access to affordable, inclusive, high quality youth development programming with an eye towards health and wellness. The Overtown Optimist Club Health and Wellness initiative has a two-pronged objective. The seminal objective of the Club has been to create and sustain a safe haven for students and families during the critical out-of-school hours. To achieve its mission, the Club activates a year-round out-of-school program model, where athletics continues to be one of our many tools for outreach, and a vehicle which invests in the wellness of our children. ---