Each YOU Grant winner was chosen by the fans and received a $5,000 grant to continue their great work in the Greater Los Angeles community.

Congratulations to the Friendship Circle on winning the March 2015 Lakers Youth Foundation YOU Grant!

The Friendship Circle’s purpose is to bring joy and companionship to children with special needs in a way that celebrates, rather than laments, their uniqueness and individuality. The underlying philosophy of the Friendship Circle is that every child is an entire world – worthy of the gifts of love, laughter, nurturing and connection regardless of what I s seen on the surface, at the core, children with special needs are not so different after all.

Funding Project: Miracle Sports League, a sports program that encourages children to participate in weekly sports games that challenge, yet accommodate, the individual needs of each child and helps them build skills, foster self-esteem, teamwork, responsibility and new friendships. The Miracle League is staffed by an experienced coach and our teenage volunteers are on hand to assist in all aspects of preparing for, and playing the games. Our goal is to expand the program every year to include a variety of sports.

Via NBA.com/Lakers