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 1995: Four friends establish WSA, with the goal of creating a better sports environment for economically disadvantaged youths.
1996: At WSA's first formal event, Roy Firestone is honored and The Roy Firestone Award & Dinner is established.
1997: Jim Brown is honored as first Roy Firestone Award winner ... WSA adopts its first inner-city park, Jim Gilliam Park in central Los Angeles, where three new sports programs (baseball, basketball and flag football) are established.
1999: Sugar Ray Leonard is honored as third Roy Firestone Award winner ... Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan recognizes WSA for its contributions to the community ... WSA sponsors a basketball clinic at Jim Gilliam Park featuring Toby Bailey, Michael Holton and USC basketball coaching staff.
2001: Howie Long honored as fifth Roy Firestone Award winner ... WSA provides funding to 75 underprivileged children to attend basketball camp in Los Angeles and Orange County ... WSA provides funding for the development of five new AYSO regions at five different Los Angeles park facilities. New programs enable 1,500 children to play AYSO soccer.
2003: Football great Terry Bradshaw honored as seventh Roy Firestone Award winner ... WSA begins financial support to after-school sports program, Team Prime Time ... WSA begins funding that allows 45 Red Shield children (referred by the Salvation Army) to attend summer sports camps at Pepperdine University ... WSA provides financial support to the East LA Dodgers, a baseball program for economically disadvantaged children in East Los Angeles.
2004: Golf legend Arnold Palmer honored as eighth Roy Firestone Award winner ... WSA significantly increases its funding of after-school sports program Team Prime Time and begins funding scholarships to summer basketball camps for underprivileged children in Los Angeles and Orange County.
2005: Football great Steve Young honored as ninth Roy Firestone Award winner ... In addition to ongoing programs, WSA adds financial support to Students Run LA, which allows at-risk secondary students in Los Angeles to train for and complete the LA Marathon ... WSA hires its first Executive Director to run the day-to-day operations of the charity.
2007: Golf legend Jack Nicklaus honored as eleventh Roy Firestone Award winner ... WSA adopts three additional inner-city parks in Los Angeles: Oakwood Recreation Center, Central Recreation Center and William Nickerson Recreation Center, providing the majority of youth sports funding for these facilities ... WSA adds funding to LA Scores, an after-school inner-city soccer and literacy program ... WSA adds funding to the Starz Foundation, which allows 30 children from South-Central Los Angeles to attend lacrosse camps throughout Southern California ... With the help of WSA funds, Team Prime Time expands to its third location, Westside Leadership Magnet ... WSA begins sponsoring the Team Prime Time Games. |
1998:
John Wooden honored as second Roy Firestone Award winner ... WSA adopts three inner-city parks: Toberman Recreation Center and El
Sereno Park in Los Angeles and Hollywood Recreation Center, providing principal sports funding for these facilities.
2000:
Wayne Gretzky honored as fourth Roy Firestone Award winner ... WSA expands programs to Orange County, California, providing significant financing to the Santa Ana parks program including El
Salvador Park, Thornton Park and Jerome Center Boxing Club, and additional financing to the sports programs for youths at Santa Ana
High School and the Memorial Pool Center ... WSA provides funding to 50 underprivileged children to attend summer
basketball camp with USC and UCLA basketball coaches.
2002:
Cal Ripken, Jr. honored as sixth Roy Firestone award winner ... WSA funding creates 5 new AYSO regions, bringing WSA/AYSO partnership to 10 regions. WSA/AYSO partnership ultimately creates 16 regions, with 13 still operating today, serving upwards of 3,500 kids.
2006: Baseball legend Hank Aaron honored as tenth Roy Firestone Award winner ... Due to overwhelming demand, WSA's annual charity dinner is moved from the LA Athletic Club to a bigger venue, the Omni Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, home of the John R. Wooden Award ... WSA adds funding to View Park Prep Charter Middle School to support a sports and leadership camp for 200 students ... WSA begins funding the Hollenbeck Police Activities League to support an indoor soccer program for children living in Boyle Heights, a low-income neighborhood of Los Angeles ... With the help of WSA funds, Team Prime Time expands to its second location, Palms Middle School.