TRF Supports Santa Clothes '23

Of all the programmes that we support around the globe helping to attract new players or supporting those who need boots or other equipment; there's one event that touches our hearts every year - the Annual Santa Clothes programme in our "home town" of Las Vegas.

Santa Clothes is an initiative run by the local Rotary Club designed to support under-served children within Clark County. Why does this one touch us so much? It's fairly easy to support people within rugby or rugby programmes but this one event supports children who would quite literally have nothing this Christmas.

400 children in this one area alone come together early morning and are taken shopping by the volunteers. The stores open early just for these children, nobody else is there, but they are not buying the latest video game or the toys that they have seen advertised so much over the past weeks, they are buying clothes. In some cases these are the only clothes that these children will receive in the next 12 months.

As well as the presents of clothing, every one of the children receives lunch and takes part in a series of fun and enjoyable activities in the afternoon and that's where TRF really comes in.

Our local coaching team helps to bring so much joy to the children but also focuses on the key principles of rugby "inclusion, discipline, friendship and fair play" with every child resulting in a truly inclusive event. The Boy Scouts of America with whom we have been working for three years is a fundamental partner in the project' Todd Walter, Scout Executive and CEO of Las Vegas Area Council for the Boy Scouts of America said

"We are so grateful to The Rugby Foundation for their tremendous support." "It's not just about the game, it's about how we treat people."

This year TRF donated a commemorative rugby ball to each and every child who was part of the Santa Clothes project, a small, extra gift that went down so well with every one of them.

It did mean that a small but dedicated team of "blowers" worked overtime to inflate enough balls to fill 4 wooden crates with balls ahead of the event

Ginger Anderson, Chair of the Santa Clothes project in Clark County said of TRF "The positive influence, mentorship and the opportunity to learn rugby was such a valuable and fun part." "The rugby balls each child received were such a wonderful gift."

Todd finished by saying "This was an excellent example of helping our kids understand the importance of community."

Phil Klevorick, Founder and CEO of TRF, wiping a tear away as he listened to Todd's heartfelt comment finished by saying "I'm so glad that we can support this amazing event each year. Rotary and Scouts do an amazing job and we are privileged to be involved and to help put a smile on their faces. Tell me when is next year's event?"