LAUNCHING A COMMUNITY PROGRAM FOR KYLE LONG

Starting a foundation is not the only way an athlete can give back to his/her community. Icon also manages The Dreambuilders Foundation, which specializes in building unique community programs specifically for athletes.

In Chicago, Icon and Dreambuilders worked with Bears Pro Bowler Kyle Long to create and manage a program designed to keep kids active and healthy in the inner city. This included giving kids on free and reduced lunch access to Blessings in a Backpack, which gives them bags of healthy foods to take home on the weekends when they don’t have access to school lunches. It also involved funding a major renovation at Starr Park on Chicago’s west side.

Icon made this a program a reality by bringing on major corporate partners in UnitedHealthcare and Jewel Osco, who stepped up to provide funding and bring attention to the program through planned media and outreach events at St. Malachy School and Starr Park. Icon has also managed fundraising events and campaigns for Kyle’s program as well.

Athletes looking for easy and fun ways to make an impact and to actually see the faces of the kids they are benefiting can do so by partnering with Dreambuilders. Our staff handles all of the legwork required to put the program together. We secure all of the funding to make the program a reality, and we work with the schools and charitable partners to put everything into place.

Because Dreambuilders is already an established 501c3, there is no administrative work to be done by the athlete. There is no need to set up a board of directors or go through the time and expense of filing legal paperwork to get started. There is also no required financial contribution for the athlete. We focus on building a personalized program that he will be proud of, and that will build his own community identity.