Guest Commentary: AACE embraces giving back by serving the community this holiday season
Athletes Activating Champions & Empowerment (AACE) is a nonprofit founded by high school students at Canterbury School in Fort Myers. Our organization exists to elevate youth through transformative mentorship led by student-athletes who understand what it means to overcome challenges, stay focused, and lead with heart.
When students feel unseen, unsupported, or uncertain about their future, it can affect everything — from their self-esteem to their choices.
Part of our mission at AACE is to make sure students have the support they need to build self-esteem, resilience, and positive relationships. And part of that effort this holiday season is the opportunity to help make Thanksgiving a little brighter for the students and families at Tice Elementary in Fort Myers.
On Tuesday, Nov. 18, we’ll be delivering bags of nonperishable food items to the students at the school to help ensure all 500 families have what they need for a nutritious Thanksgiving dinner.
This initiative will touch on several principles upon which AACE was founded:
• Healthy Choices — Providing nutritious food for the students and their families encourages the students to make healthy choices.
• Education & Goals — We’ll have the opportunity to talk to students about the importance of education and setting personal goals. We’ll encourage students to stay motivated to fuel their academic and personal growth.
• Resilience — Life has its ups and downs; however, we can draw on lessons from sports to meet challenges head-on. Basketball great Michael Jordan’s comeback after being cut from his high school team. Surfer Bethany Hamilton’s return to pro surfing after a shark attack. Sprinter Derek Richmond tearing his hamstring during a race and limping across the finish line with the help of his father just to name a few.
• Relationships — Having the chance to meet with and talk to the students will build trust and respect, enhance communication skills and allow them to build supportive relationships with families, friends and others who have their back throughout life.
And while our efforts present a great opportunity for us to brighten the day of the students, empower them to pursue their goals and build character, we need support from the community.
Each bag of food costs $25. To fill the 500 bags we need to feed the families at Tice, we’ll have to raise $12,500.
This is where leading with heart that I mentioned earlier comes into play.
We are encouraging the Southwest Florida community to lead with your hearts and donate to this initiative so that 500 families can celebrate a festive Thanksgiving meal together.
This effort is about more than food — it’s about sharing hope. Our student-athletes are discovering real champions do more than compete, they lift others up. Through this initiative, we’re showing families that their community cares and that, together, we can truly make a difference.
To make a monetary donation to the Tice Elementary bag drive, please go to paypal.com/ncp/payment/PQCZXL7UZE4AC.
The Thanksgiving bag drive embodies AACE’s mission to empower student-athletes to use their talents and teamwork to impact lives positively. Through service projects like this, participants learn the value of giving back, serving the community and incorporating character building traits.
Thank you for supporting this heartfelt effort. Happy Thanksgiving.
— Noah Moon is the president and founder of Athletes Activating Champions & Empowerment (AACE), a Fort Myers nonprofit whose mission it is to provide a supportive space where young people of all backgrounds build self-esteem, resilience and positive relationships through mentorship and guidance from student-athletes.