LOCAL Houston | The City Guide MARCH 2015 | Page 54
Local March 2015FINAL.qxp_002houston 2/21/15 3:42 PM Page 54
YOU’VE GOT 99 REASONS TO
LOVE JJ WATT – HERE’S ONE MORE
IF YOU AREN’T AWARE OF WHAT J.J. WATT DOES ON THE
FIELD, I’M CURIOUS WHERE YOU GOT THAT ROCK YOU’VE
BEEN HIDING UNDER. THE WORK THAT #99 PUTS IN OFF THE
FIELD – I’M NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT SHOWING UP TO THE
WORKOUT ROOM AT 4AM WITH THE CLEANING CREW, FILMING FORD AND HEB COMMERCIALS OR GRACING THE COVER
OF ESPN THE MAG WITH THE BEAUTIFUL KATY PERRY – IT’S THE
OTHER STUFF THAT IS JUST AS IMPRESSIVE.
It sounds hard to believe, but believe it.
That same heart, determination and work ethic you see from Watt on the field
is the same intensity and love he puts into his foundation, the Justin J. Watt
Foundation, a 501c(3) that reaches out to middle schools in Wisconsin and
Houston with insufficient funding for after-school athletic programs, or no afterschool athletics whatsoever. No one knows more about the importance of afterschool athletics for building character and athletic ability than Watt himself.
“The Justin J. Watt Foundation encourages children to dream big and work
hard,” says J.J. Watt. “We hope to provide the motivation and means to turn
those big dreams and hard work into something incredible.”
Tickets for his 2nd Annual J.J. Watt Charity Classic at Constellation Field in
Sugar Land May 1 sold out within minutes and once again crashed the ticketing website thanks to eager fans. The nighttime event will feature defensive and
offensive players from the Houston Texans on opposing teams under “Friday
Night Lights,” a home run derby, silent auction and fireworks following the
game. If you didn’t get the coveted tickets, there are still ways to help the
Foundation and local kids by visiting their website and sharing the info with
schools in need of funding.
“The Justin J. Watt Foundation has been a strong supporter of after-school
sports for middle school kids in the Greater Houston area for the past three
years. We have donated more than $800,000 in funding for things such as
team uniforms, sports equipment and safety gear which can be used for years
to come. We know that when kids look forward to playing on a team after school, they
The Sugar Land Skeeters are part of
tend to perform better in the classroom and
the Atlantic League of Professional
have better attendance. Participating in
Baseball Clubs (ALPB) and play 140
sports after school also provides kids with
regular season games – 70 home at
opportunities to take personal responsibility,
Constellation Field and 70 away.
become leaders, develop healthy lifestyles
Constellation Field is a state-of-theand be accountable to others,” says Connie
art stadium just 20 minutes from
Watt, Vice President of the Foundation.
downtown Houston. The ALPB is conThe Foundation anticipates reaching the
$1 million mark by the end of 2015! To
learn more, visit www.jjwfoundation.org.
by Jayme Lamm
Photogrpahy by Salviace Photography
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L O C A L
| march 15
sidered the highest level of Minor
League Baseball and is a preferred
route for experienced players to be
scouted by Major League Baseball.
The Skeeters have been around since
2012 and have finished the last two
seasons with winning records.
www.SugarLandSkeeters.com