Rosh Roy, a junior in high school and resident of Santa Clara, founded a non-profit Sports2AllKids, Inc. to bring sports equipment to under-funded schools. He started this endeavor by donating $500 worth of sports equipment to the Ravenswood Middle School of the Ravenswood City School District in East Palo Alto on Nov. 22, 2019. He did this with money he earned from a summer job as a camp counsellor.
Ravenswood schools have faced a slew of recent challenges. In February 2018, the district board just avoided state takeover by cutting $5.8 million from the district budget which resulted in the elimination of 83 jobs. In March 2019, then-Superintendent Gloria Hernandez-Goff resigned after coming up against harsh criticism from the district board and petitions from the community for her removal.
“In my personal opinion, the biggest reason for the need for these cuts is a systemic issue in how schools are inequitably funded to begin with,” said Ravenswood District Board Vice President Stephanie Fitch.
Hearing of the budget crisis faced by the district, Roy wanted to help his fellow students and make an impact on his local community. Roy’s passion for sports began when he was in the fourth grade. He loves to play soccer as well as competing in track and field. He founded Sports2AllKids, Inc. in October 2019 with the mission of bringing sports equipment to underprivileged children and low-income schools and to promote an active lifestyle among youth.
Roy meets with local community leaders to identify underfunded schools similar to Ravenswood that have difficulty procuring sports equipment. He then reaches out to the school management to better understand their needs and identify ways that his organization can help. Sports2AllKids, Inc. then raises funds to meet the needs of the school through sponsorships and fundraising.
Roy is also a member of the Cambodia Initiative through the International Association of Youth (IAY) where he is the chapter leader of the community segment which brings items to needy families in Cambodia. Accordingly, Sports2AllKids, Inc. has provided soccer balls, eyeglasses, soccer goals, and bar soap for impoverished children in Cambodia. Last month, Roy met with the Principal of Willow Oaks Elementary School in Menlo Park to donate Volleyballs, Squareballs and Volleyball Nets.
Bringing much needed supplies to schools in California and around the world is no small task, but it is something Roy does with enthusiasm because of his passion for sports and children.
His mission is to continue to help underprivileged kids and to continue to grow Sports2AllKids, Inc. (sports2allkids.org) to help more children every day.