In a series of community relations events, the Indianapolis Colts and the Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS) teamed up with the Indianapolis Indians to host a special evening for 35 foster youth at Victory Field.
Through their “Books for Youth” program, presented by Cargo Services, the Colts and the DCS have invited 35 foster youth and their families to enjoy a baseball game, compliments of the Indianapolis Indians, and receive their “Books for Youth” backpack filled with a personal library of 25 age-appropriate books.
Colts OT Bradley Sowell and WR Jeremy Kelley were on hand to distribute the backpacks before the game and throw out the honorary first pitch. Joining in the distribution and the honorary first pitch wass Judge Mary Beth Bonaventura, the Director of the Indiana Department of Child Services. In addition, from 5:30-6:30 p.m., Colts Cheerleaders were available to sign autographs and fans were able to pick up a free 2013 Colts schedule poster.
The “Books for Youth” program, presented by Cargo Services, was started in 2006 through a partnership between the Colts and DCS. The goal of the program is to provide every foster child in Indiana with a personal backpack filled with 25 books. To date, the Colts and DCS have collected nearly 750,000 books statewide and have distributed more than 5,000 backpacks to foster children across Indiana. For more information on the Books for Youth program, visit www.colts.com/booksforyouth.
