IL Cares Foundation looking to change local sports landscape

IL Cares Foundation looking to change local sports landscape

A local foundation has been working feverishly to change the landscape of local youth sports.

According to Island Luck (IL) Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Dirk Simmons, the company’s recent support of local sporting events has been part of its mission to provide the nation’s youth, particularly athletes, with as much opportunities for exposure as possible.

“At IL Cares, we truly believe the youth are the future,” Simmons said, pointing out that Island Luck, through the foundation, has sponsored several local sporting events up to this point and has a lot more in the pipeline for this year.

“Last year, we sponsored the National High School Volleyball Championships; we are sponsoring the upcoming CARIFTA Trials and next month we are sponsoring the National High School Basketball Championships. And after that, we are sponsoring the National High School Soccer Championships.

“These are just a few of the commitments we are undertaking. Our youth today face many challenges, and part of that is a lack of positive activities, so we want to do our part to ensure we provide them with these opportunities. This aspect of our corporate social responsibility is just a small portion.

Simmons said the company believes in empowerment through education, employment and wellness, and it will continue to support the community.

IL Cares most recently became the title sponsor for the upcoming Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) CARIFTA, and national supplier of the 2018 CARIFTA Track and Field Championships.

Established in 2014, the IL Cares Foundation has now become the sole source of Island Luck’s charitable works.

According to its website, IL Cares’ mission is to bring awareness and community support to the socioeconomic needs of The Bahamas and its people.

About Randy Smith

Randy Smith is the producer of the widely-watched local television show “Beyond The Headlines” and the web content manager of Eyewitness News. He joined Eyewitness News as a sportscaster in 2018, a role he still performs, and has previously covered a slew of international sporting events, including the 2015 Pan American Games, the Nike EYBL Showcase, several IAAF World Relays, the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, the Commonwealth Youth Games, the Bahamas Bowl and multiple CARIFTA Swimming and Track & Field Championships. Randy has been recognized by the Bahamas Press Club with awards for “Best Sports Broadcast” as a sportscaster and “Best TV Talk Show” as a producer.