ABOUT THE LA84 Foundation - MT. SAC RELAYS Youth Days

The LA84 Foundation is a legacy of the 1984 Olympic Games. Formerly known as the Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles (AAF), the LA84 Foundation has maintained a very unique partnership with the Mt. SAC Relays for the past 26 years. The program has served more than 460,000 youth from throughout Southern California and beyond. The “Youth Days” program includes the LA84 Foundation Youth Days Track & Field Meet, the LA84 Foundation / Mt. SAC Instructional Clinic Program and the Munchkin Fun Runs.

Philosophy

The program’s theme is “Fun and Friendship Through Sport.” Youth Days aims to teach youngsters that sports can provide clean, wholesome fun, satisfaction, pride, true friendships and an understanding of life. We hope to shape future Olympiads by introducing them to the wide world of sports.

Goal

1. Introduce track & field, the original Olympic sport, to America’s youth.
2. Bringing athletes together from all walks of life in the spirit of fun, friendship and competition
3. Providing fair and equal competition to all athletes.
4. Helping prepare America’s future Olympians for the greatest of all sporting events – the Olympic Games!
5. Assist schools in promoting athletics as part of their curriculum, by providing opportunities to learn and compete
6. Encourage children to better understand their talents and strive to be the best they possibly can.

History

In 1984, the success of the Los Angeles Olympic Games prompted the formation of the Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles (AAF) to promote Olympic sports among the youth of Southern California. In 1986, the AAF selected the Mt. SAC Relays as its first ever grant recipient. The grant allowed the Relays to expand its schedule of events so that boys and girls could participate in two special AAF – Mt. SAC Relays Youth Days. This event would not have been financially possible without the support of the AAF. This program, along with the instructional clinic program, has grown each year; more than 460,000 young athletes have actively participated since the inception of the program. In 2007, the Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles, changed its name to the LA84 Foundation to honor the spirit of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, signal renewed energy, urgency and commitment to advancing youth sport in Southern California. Today, the LA84 Foundation / Mt. SAC Relays Youth Days Grant is the longest continuous grant and flagship grant of the LA84 Foundation. Since its inception, the LA84 Foundation has “Served Youth Through Sport” with more than $206 million dollars in grants to various organizations throughout Southern California.