L.A.C.E.S. Blog

Top 5 Accomplishments of 2021

As 2021 has come to an end, L.A.C.E.S. is proud to commemorate the remarkable work and achievements of its community. Here are our Top 5 Accomplishments of the year.

1. 340 Youth Served in our West African Programs

2020 was an unexpected year that challenged us in ways we could never have foreseen, but we rose up and found a way to continue meeting and impacting the lives of children around the world. In 2021 we grew and welcomed 120 more youth into our programs serving a total of 340 disadvantaged youth in Kakata, Liberia and Bo City, Sierra Leone combined.

2. L.A.C.E.S. Coach and Ambassador – Holly Wilson
Recipient of Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award

Coach Holly and Founder and Executive Director, Seren Fryatt, at the ESPN Humanitarian Awards 2021

In July, Coach Holly and L.A.C.E.S. Seren Fryatt traveled to New York City to attend ESPN’s seventh annual Sports Humanitarian Awards ceremony where Coach Holly was awarded the Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award for her work with L.A.C.E.S. Refugee Program. Ms. King founded this award to celebrate and honor youth who are using the power of sport as a catalyst for change and making a positive impact on society. We are immensely proud of Coach Holly’s accomplishments and grateful for her dedication to the youth in our programs.

3. Start of a New Research Project

In November, Seren joined professors from Ball State University and Claremont Graduate University on a trip to Liberia, where they worked with local teams to begin a new two-year research project in partnership with the John Templeton World Charity Foundation. This project’s goal is to further explore the character virtues associated with healthy development of Liberian youth, in order to better serve the youth and families in our programs. We are thrilled to begin this journey and cannot wait to share it with all of you.

You can learn more about previous research projects here: Our Research – LACES

4. Working in Partnership, Uplifting Youth Around the World

In 2021, L.A.C.E.S. continued activities with our current program partners while also building new
partnerships to broaden our impact of uplifting youth around the world through sports. We would
like to highlight and celebrate these organizations here and look forward to working together in
2022!

5. Welcome to America Soccer Festivals

After being able to come together on the soccer pitch following a year of virtual programs, L.A.C.E.S. Refugee Youth jumped for joy with the news that not only were we hosting one in-person soccer festival but two! With the arrival of many Afghan Allies, L.A.C.E.S. joined 1 Journey, District Sports, and Washington International School, in welcoming and celebrating our new neighbors to the Washington D.C. community by celebrating the game we all love!

Interested in More Ways to Share in L.A.C.E.S. Mission?

Information on how to get involved can be found here: Get Involved – LACES

We are excited to see L.A.C.E.S. grow in 2022 and we hope you have a wonderful year!

RECENT POSTS
RECENT POSTS
Archives
CATEGORIES