In an effort to combat the alarming physical and psychological health risks affecting young girls, Linda Driscoll, a non-profit and sports management professional for the past 25 years, launched Dream Big! in Massachusetts in 2010. The goal of Dream Big!, a 501(c)3 charitable organization, is to ensure that all girls, regardless of socio-economic background, have the equipment, program fees, training expenses and supplies that they need to participate in physical activities that contribute to their overall health, fitness, and well-being.
“Unfortunately, poverty can severely limit a young girl’s involvement in physical activity and sports, most of which have associated costs including program fees or the cost of equipment, uniforms and sneakers. At Dream Big!, we believe that the key to helping young girls become physically active is allowing them to pursue their interests—whether those interests involve basketball, tennis, dance, double-dutch, rowing or any other activity that gets girls moving. By providing low-income and homeless girls with program scholarships and equipment grants to pursue the activities they enjoy, Dream Big! can complement the important work that is currently being done by our youth-serving partner organizations and can ensure that young girls have the opportunity to participate in activities regardless of their socioeconomic backgrounds,” says Driscoll.
