Held annually, the ICAN Charity Golf Tournament is an eventful weekend that starts on Saturday, May 19 with a pre-event dinner, live/silent auction, and entertainment featuring Michael Sicoly. Sunday, May 20 is the golf tournament followed by an awards dinner. No matter what level of golf you play, you will enjoy the gorgeous views and temperatures in the 80′s. Registration is $250/person for the golf tournament and $65/person for the pre-event dinner on Saturday, May 19. If you’re not a golfer, we welcome you to join us for our pre-event dinner where you can still have a great weekend out while supporting ICAN!

To register or find information on sponsorship opportunities, contact ICAN Community Engagement Manager, Whitney, at 480.821.4207 or whitney@icanaz.org

It began in 1991 when Henry saw continuous news coverage about youth being killed due to local Chandler gang violence. He didn’t understand what would lead youth to do this and why they weren’t spending their out of school time at local community centers. Henry visited Chandler schools and parks to speak with gang members, although initially he was met with resistance. There were many times his life was in danger from trying to pursue the answers he was seeking. Finally he got a chance to speak to a leader of a local gang and ask why they weren’t attending the local youth centers. The answer he got was that they cost money that their families didn’t have and it was there Henry made a promise to create a place they could go without worrying about the peer pressures from being on the “streets.”

Henry started gathering youth at local parks and school gymnasiums, creating what is today, ICAN. The community rallied with Henry over time and a facility was secured a few years later that is the one we currently reside in at 201 S. Washington St. in Chandler.

Now, over 20 years later, Henry’s vision continues and ICAN remains a free youth program while serving over 150 youth daily. The new ICAN Lon E. Hoeye Youth Center is about to open its doors with the ability to provide youth prevention programs to 55% more youth and it’s all thanks to Henry Salinas, who cared enough about youth and the community to take action; no challenge was too big or small to make it happen. Stay tuned for the final video in the coming months on the ICAN YouTube channel and meet Henry for yourself at the ICAN Lon E. Hoeye Youth Center Official Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on May 10, 2012!

Last week staff had their first chance to see their new work spaces and the extra room youth will have with 5 classrooms, a dedicated art room, an inside half-gym, and more! Alfredo, ICAN Prevention Specialist, couldn’t resist showing excitement,“I can’t believe the space our kids are going to have with these huge classrooms!”

In addition to staff, there was also an opportunity for a few lucky youth to see the facility before anyone else and participate in a photo shoot with Slingshot Photography. The youth got to try out the playground, full outside court, and run in the newly laid courtyard green grass.

You can see the ICAN Lon E. Hoeye Youth Center for yourself at our ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday, May 10, 2012 between 4-7pm! The community is welcome to attend, with a special program beginning at 4pm , and take a tour to see how ICAN is going to be able to provide more free programs to youth, families, and the community with this 21,000 square foot facility. You can also purchase engraved, personalized bricks that will be placed permanently at the facility to show your support for ICAN youth and bettering our community!

ICAN’s youth programs are targeted at preventing youth substance abuse with early education and positive decision making skills. Our life skills programs like Botvin’s Life Skills (A comprehensive program that addresses all of the most important factors leading adolescents to use drugs by teaching a combination of health information, general life skills and drug resistance skills), Second Step Program (This program is a long-term intervention that builds skills consecutively with the intention of preventing alcohol, tobacco, or other drug use and promoting healthy decision-making and positive, healthy youth development), and Too Good For Drugs (This program includes activities to strengthen knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and skills which research has shown to be effective in preventing drug use and violent behavior) make a proven difference in youth attitudes toward substance abuse.

We invite people to see our programs in action by getting involved through a variety of ways beyond financial support. We have our needs and in-kind support is a way to provide items we are directly in need of. There are also many volunteer opportunities whether you are looking to work with ICAN youth,  assisting in an administrative capacity, supporting our special events, or many more opportunities to get involved! There are also many opportunities to make a difference through our partnership with the Chandler Coalition on Youth Substance Abuse (CCYSA).

This study shows the immediate need for ICAN programs and you can show your support by joining us in creating a positive future for youth and the community!

Bricks are available with one, two, or three lines of text and can be purchased through the ICAN Online Store, starting at only $250. Click here to purchase yours today!

Be sure to also save the date for the official ribbon cutting ceremony for the ICAN Lon E. Hoeye Youth Center:

Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting
Thursday, May 10, 2012
4-7pm *Program begins at 4pm
650 E. Morelos Street
Chandler, AZ 85225

Click here to view the event on the ICAN Facebook

Each youth in one of the four ICAN color groups received a change tube to collect from family, friends, and more toward their group goals of $100. If each color group reach their goal, their chosen ICAN staff must “Kiss the Pig” at the end of April once the competition ends. If the youth, as a whole, collect at least $400, then ICAN’s CEO, Becky Jackson, and Director of Programs, John, will also be joining in “Kissing the Pig.” The competition ends April 30, so stay tuned to see who ends up having to kiss Charlotte…we hope the youth make ALL their goals and EVERYONE has to! Feel free to stop by and contribute to our youth’s fundraising efforts

The fundraising competition is part of the Only ICAN Capital Campaign to raise money for ICAN’s new Folley Park facility that is being constructed. It gives the youth a chance to make a contribution and take ownership of the new facility that will offer them 3x as much space as the current facility with 21,000 square feet! There will be 6 classrooms, half-gym, teen center, library, and more…the facility also allows ICAN to provide programs that prevent youth substance abuse, gang activity, and juvenile delinquency to 55% more youth.

Here are the staff each color group chose:

General Crouch took a tour of ICAN and met some of the youth, listening to their stories and encouraging them to continue sharing and making their voice heard. ICAN’s Director of Programs, John Hamilton, facilitated the tour, “General Crouch wanted to visit a coalition in the Phoenix area that’s doing well to observe, and it’s an honor to hear the Chandler Coalition on Youth Substance Abuse was so highly regarded by the CADCA.”

In February, the CCYSA graduated from CADCA’s National Coalition Academy which is held annually in Maryland. The National Coalition Academy is a comprehensive training program developed by CADCA’s National Coalition Institute. Coalitions participating in the academy learn about creating and maintaining partnerships, sustainability, cultural competence, assessment, prevention planning and implementation and evaluation to establish or maintain a highly effective anti-drug coalition.

General William Crouch is a retired United States Army four star general, and former Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army.

Annually, the event promotes fitness and healthy lifestyles by giving participants an option to choose a casual fun run or a competitive and timed 5k.  The run is followed by family-friendly activities that inform the community on how to stay healthy. Participants also have the opportunity to win raffle prizes. Sponsors for 2012 include the SanTan Sun News, City of Chandler, and CoBiz Financial.

While the fun run & 5k promotes healthy living, participants also get the opportunity to support ICAN and contribute to positive changes in our community!

The cost for Fun Run registration is $10 per person or $20 per family, ages 10 and under are free, and $25 per person for the timed 5K which includes a limited edition dri-fit t-shirt. The cost increases to $30/person to participate in the 5K on the day of the event. Participants will also receive a goodie bag for their participation.

You can register online by visiting http://www.shop.icanaz.org/SanTan-Sun-Family-Fun-Run-5K-presented-by-CoBiz-Financial_c8.htm

After visiting the new site, they came back to our current facility and saw what space we are utilizing with such a big organizational growth through attendance of youth and staff. ICAN’s Director of Operations, John Hamilton, led the group through their orientation of ICAN, “After they saw all that ICAN is doing for the community they stated that our work made us “angels” for making such positive changes to at-risk youth.”

Using lessons learned on and off the playing field, SportsUnited focuses on empowering young people and underserved populations worldwide. Sports diplomacy builds on Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s vision of “smart power diplomacy,” which embraces the use of a full range of diplomatic tools – in this case sports – to bring people together and foster greater understanding.

SportsUnited engages people from around the world in four key ways: the Empowering Women and Girls Through Sports Initiative, the Sports Envoy program, the Sports Visitors program, and Sports Grants that focus on empowering athletes with disabilities and underserved youth.