Wilmington's All-star

Last week, Grace Firestone, founder of Youth Venture Let the Kids Play, survived a medical emergency. The community has rallied around this remarkable teen with encouragement and support, a testament to the positive impact she has had on her community. Today’s post is in honor of her Venture and the positive service Gracie is leading in her community.

Grace Firestone is a changemaker. At the age of 15, she started the organization Let the Kids Play. Let the Kids Play strives to give kids a chance to do what they are best at: just be kids. Fueled by a passion for youth sports, the organization works to raise money and donations of sports equipment for youth living in disadvantaged conditions in Africa. They also work directly with athletes, arranging innovative sponsorships. Each time the athlete achieves a set goal for the season, funds pledged are donated. Over the last two years, Grace and her team worked tirelessly, successfully donating thousands of dollars to help support the new sports program for Flying Kites Global, an international non-profit that seeks to raise the standards of care available to the world's poorest children.

After seeing that there is not only a global need but also one right outside her door, Grace and her team have turned their focus locally. Let the Kids Play has now spread to every high school within her regional sports conference in the Wilmington, Delaware area and her organization’s reputation continues to grow and bring positive impact to the community at large.

Grace is a true leader of her peers, always humble in her accomplishments and using her personal passion as fuel to drive her Venture forward. Her Ally, Amanda Blackstone, says, “She has united everyone in her class, in her school, in her conference, and in the state really.” Her understanding of global issues are remarkable for a person of any age. “All Grace wants to do is give back and help others, and her Venture allows her to use her passion for sports to help kids everywhere.”

As Grace moves forward in her recovery, her Venture will continue to move forward as well. If you would like to send a message of encouragement to Grace or support Let the Kids Play, please contact Grace’s Ally Amanda at ablackstone@towerhill.org.