Thunder sinks feet in Foundation for youth

By John Kovach

The root objective is to promote activities that will cultivate developmental skills.

YOUNGSTOWN — The Mahoning Valley Thunder of the af2 is getting more involved in the community.

The arena football team, entering its third season, has created the Thunder Foundation to seek financial contributions from the community and conduct fund-raisers to help area youth and their families to develop and achieve healthy lifestyles.

The foundation, which will seek to establish programs that emphasize positive life choices, education and physical health, was announced Tuesday at the Chevrolet Centre where the Thunder plays its home games.

The Thunder, owned by Dr. Michael Slyk, Timothy Chesney and Dr. Jon Saadey, will open the season on March 27 at home against the Albany Conquest.

Bill Wittman of Canfield and LS Strapping Inc. is president of the eight-member Thunder Foundation Board.

Wittman says that the Thunder Foundation will start with providing funds for flag football — specifically the Youngstown Youth Flag Football Association directed by Elliott Giles — because the program already is established and successful.

He said other beneficial programs will be added as the foundation raises more funds and grows.

Wittman said he was contacted by Thunder general manager Adam Tokash last fall about starting the foundation.

“He was calling to tell me about his plan to form a group to set out and help kids,” Wittman said. “He called each and every board member. Adam gave them the same pitch.

“It was an easy sell to this caring group,” Wittman said. “We discovered quickly that we all share the same belief that the youth of the Mahoning Valley are a very important asset of this community.”

Wittman said the board decided “to promote activities that will cultivate [youth] developmental skills; spiritually, emotionally, mentally, intellectually and physically.”

But he also said the board wanted to benefit families, so “our first idea to create programs for youth was extended into an all-encompassing goal; to expand these programs, not only to youth, but to make them available to their families and to all the citizens of the Mahoning Valley.”

Wittman announced the Thunder Foundation Mission Statement, which is: “To build better communities in the Mahoning Valley through collaborative activities that promote and encourage education, physical activity, high moral conduct and development of positive life skills.”

Giles said his flag football league is growing and is a good way to get a lot of kids involved in a positive program.

“We want to get more kids involved with recreational activities and sports from Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties,” Giles said. “Every kid should have an opportunity to be affected by this program. It is an NFL flag football program.

“We have 600 kids involved. We believe that we will have 1,000 kids this spring, just by word of mouth. We want to get a start in the inner city and get as many kids involved in this program.”

Othe board members are: Brian Wolf, vice president, retired teacher and executive director of The Marion G. Resch Foundation and an adviser to The Alice R. Powers Trust; George Morris, treasurer, owner of Morris Financial Group in Salem; Giles, a teacher and president of the YFFA; Scott Kennedy, Y-103 program director; Atty. Mark Fortunato of Poland; Robb Schmidt, assistant athletic director for marketing and promotions at Youngstown State; and Richard Slyk, owner and operator of Dick Slyk Junkets.

“Our board has the time and energy; we are asking for the support of the community,” Wittman said.

Checks should be made payable to the Thunder Foundation and mailed to the Thunder Foundation, Mahoning Valley Thunder Offices, 888 Boardman-Canfield Rd., Suite A, Boardman, Ohio 44512.

Kennedy announced the first fund-raising event will be a beach party on March 14 at Mr. Anthony’s. Tickets cost $20.

kovach@vindy.com