For the tenth consecutive year, San Diego Chargers President Dean Spanos and the Chargers Champions community initiative have provided the largest privately-funded gift to support San Diego’s educational community.

With this year’s contribution of $200,000 in school grants and scholarships, the Spanos family has donated more than $3.75 million to San Diego’s schools and students through the Chargers Champions program.

The Chargers Champions program is committed to improving physical fitness in San Diego County schools by providing grants for new facilities and equipment.
“Schools throughout California are suffering from large budget cuts,” Spanos said.  “The main goal of our program is to provide students with the necessary means to living a healthy lifestyle through physical fitness.”

The educational grants provided in 2009 ranged from $70,000 to Castle Park High School to $9,000 given to Alpine Elementary.

Six San Diego-area schools received grants to improve their physical fitness, athletic or nutrition programs:

$70,000 Castle Park High School, San Diego: Weight room
$45,000 Mt. Empire High School, Pine Valley: Football, track, and basketball equipment
$30,000 Bay Park Elementary School, San Diego: Fitness area for visually impaired
$25,000 Tierra Del Sol Middle School, Lakeside: Fitness equipment and heart monitors
$15,000 Horton Elementary School, San Diego: Indoor fitness room and equipment
$9,000Alpine Elementary School, Alpine: Fitness equipment

This year’s recipients will be honored when the Chargers host the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, November 1 at Qualcomm Stadium.

Funds allocated to Chargers Champions are administered through the Chargers Community Foundation, the San Diego Chargers’ charitable foundation. The Foundation was established in 1995 by Dean and Alex Spanos to “help San Diego build on its strengths by supporting individuals, activities and organizations that work to make the city a better place to live.”

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