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CALIFORNIA CASUALTY Gives Thousands of Dollars for High School Athletics Michael Jordan may have said it best, "Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships." For many young people today the ability to develop teamwork skills on the athletic field is slipping away. Shrinking budgets are forcing more school districts to eliminate or curtail extracurricular activities and athletics. That's why California Casualty created the Thomas R. Brown Athletics Grant program three years ago. Since then hundreds of public high schools across the nation have received over $200,000 in athletics program assistance with an additional $100,000 to be awarded this school year. California Casualty CEO, Beau Brown, established the grant program in honor of his father—Chairman Emeritus Tom Brown who is a lifelong athlete and sportsman. "Youth sports teach teamwork, discipline and hard work that pays off," Tom Brown said. "They're a valuable complement to lessons learned in school." Past winners include Pennsylvania's Oil City Senior High School, where Coach Adam Best is purchasing much needed equipment and uniforms for the baseball program. The coach notes that fundraising has been difficult in the economically depressed community and overall budget cuts in the school district have been severe. At Schuylkill Haven High School, also in Pennsylvania, the Thomas R. Brown Athletics Grant is helping resurrect the co-ed golf program that had been cut from the budget. In New Jersey, Sussex County Technical School will use its grant to purchase medical testing equipment to help keep student athletes safer, including a device that measures readiness to return to play following a suspected concussion and/or an automated external defibrillator. Time is running out to apply for this year's Thomas R. Brown Athletics Grant. The deadline is January 15, 2014. Guidelines and application forms can be found at www.calcasathleticsgrant.com. Applicants must be an active employee of the public high school for which funding is sought and a current member of NEA. Schools in AK, HI, MA, MI, NY and WI are not eligible. Award notifications will be made by May 30, 2014. California Casualty is celebrating its 100th year anniversary in 2014. The company provides auto and home insurance to educators, firefighters, law enforcement and nurses across the country. We have been endorsed by the NEA since 2000. To learn more about California Casualty and its commitment to educators, or to request an auto insurance quote, please visit www.calcas.com/nea or call 1-800-800-9410. Don't let thousands of dollars slip past your school's needs, apply today! WINTER 2013 ICI_ 6 Winter 2013 Final.indd 25 | wyoea.org 25 12/12/13 3:41 PM