YOUTH SPORTS GAIN MOMUNTUM WITH $2.24M IN FUNDING FROM THE EASTON FOUNDATIONS

Los Angeles - The Easton Foundations are honored to announce that over the last year it has funded over $2.24 million in grants and other funding aimed specifically at youth sports.

In founding the Easton Foundations, Jim Easton established a goal to provide various sports programs and funding to young children to improve their physical condition and to offer recreational opportunities that may lead to lifetime enjoyment and competitive excellence.

Over the past fiscal year the Foundation has continued to work towards this goal.

Baseball

Donations to Little League Baseball, to improve their facilities, have provided young players with the opportunity to play on a great field while participating in a favorite national pastime.

Cycling

The Foundations support of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association has helped to broaden the reach of youth cycling across the nation as NICA has grown from a local group of riders in Northern California to encompass states as diverse as Washington, Texas and Minnesota.

Archery

The primary focus of the Easton Foundations is the development of archery. Introducing boys and girls to the world of archery and offering them the opportunity to learn through the funding of programs, instructors and facilities will foster an increased enthusiasm for the sport that will produce life-long archers and possibly world-class athletes.

Over the past year the Foundation has supported the National Archery in Schools Program (NASP) as well as archery classes, equipment, camps and ranges for various youth groups from Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts to 4-H Clubs and YMCAs. The Foundation also supports the development of young archers under the umbrella of the US Archery Association (the national governing body for the sport of archery) through its JOAD (Junior Olympic Archery Development) program and its Junior Dream Team.

The Foundation also has its own archery program, Olympic Archery in the Schools, which introduces students to Olympic style archery as part of their school's curriculum.

"All of these programs offer unique opportunities for today's youth to find a sport that they can excel in and gain confidence in themselves while having fun at the same time" said Greg Easton, President, Easton Foundations. "The Foundation looks forward to the continued growth of these programs and that their success will lead to the development of even more opportunities for our youth."

About the Easton Foundations:

The Easton Foundations' aim is to keep archery a viable part of the sporting culture in communities across the United States. Founded in 1982, to support the 1984 Olympics, by Jim Easton, the founder and former CEO of Easton Sports, Inc. the Foundation actively works to introduce the Olympic sport of archery to communities across the country. It supports the training of aspiring archers, trainers, coaches, and administrators and building of indoor archery facilities at city parks, schools, universities and sports complexes.