Witten Hosts 6th Annual Football Camp
Nearly 2,000 kids Participate In Biggest Camp Yet
June 21, 2008
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| Jason Witten Speaks To The Campers at His 6th Annual Football Camp. |
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Dallas Cowboys all-pro tight end Jason Witten was back home on Saturday in his hometown of Elizabethton, Tenn., to host his sixth annual Jason Witten’s SCORE Foundation Football Camp. The camp, which is free for kids ages 7-18, was expected to be the highest-attended yet, with more than 2,100 campers having pre-registered.
Witten, who was joined by several other current and former NFL stars, such as Cowboys teammate Bobby Carpenter, Titans linebacker Ryan Fowler and University of Tennessee quarterback Jonathan Crompton, worked one-on-one with campers and spoke to all of the kids about the importance of education and teamwork.
“I really look forward to this camp every year,” said Witten, who was a standout at Elizabethton High School in the late 90s and for the Tennessee Volunteers from 2000-2002. “Being able to come back home and meet these kids and help show them a little football is very exciting for me. It means a lot that so many people want to come out and be a part of this.
In addition to the camp, Witten also announced his plans to place the first of several Jason Witten Learning Centers at local after school centers in the area later this year. He unveiled a rendering of what the room, equipped with desks, computers, a library and television monitors will look like when the first one opens at the Elizabethton Boys & Girls Club this Fall. The room will provide kids who attend the center with a clean, quiet and safe place from which to do their homework and study, and it will be decorated with Cowboys and Jason Witten artwork and memorabilia.
Witten is working with Boys & Girls Clubs to put his learning centers in Elizabethton and Dallas. The initiative is part of the focus of his new charitable foundation – Jason Witten’s SCORE Foundation. Witten formed the foundation, which stands for “Support. Community. Overcome. Rebuild. Educate,” in order to benefit and support families and individuals in crisis, with the goal to help them overcome hardship and rebuild their lives.
“I am very fortunate to have a chance to play in the NFL and bring some awareness to some causes that are very dear to me,” said Witten. “Being able to come back to Elizabethton and upgrade the facility at the Boys & Girls Club here is something I really wanted to do and something I’m very proud of.”
Jason Witten’s SCORE Foundation will fully fund the project, which is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
