Play equipment began being distributed at Los Angeles Unified School District Grab & Go Food Centers Monday as part of a program to encourage healthy activities for children confined to their homes due to restrictions prompted by the coronavirus outbreak.

Free balls, jump ropes and other gear children can use to play at home were distributed at Garfield and San Fernando high schools.

Distributions will continue until the end of the school year at LAUSD Grab & Go distribution centers in the highest need areas, according to Renata Simril, president & CEO of the LA84 Foundation and the Play Equity Fund.

The #StayActiveStayStrong program also includes instructional videos featuring Olympic and professional athletes guiding and encouraging all students and families.

The videos will be shared on the LA84 Foundation and Play Equity Fund social platforms, on PlayEquityFund.org, as well as Los Angeles-area Public Broadcasting Service stations in conjunction with LAUSD broadcasts.

The video series began with Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Enrique Hernandez explaining in English and Spanish at-home hitting and fielding drills and ways children can be creative with exercising.

Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler shares ways for children to improve their agility at home and a challenge for their eye-hand coordination at home in the second installment.

The equipment is being provided by the LA84 Foundation, in collaboration with WSS, Nike, Kole Imports and Dick’s Sporting Goods.

The LA84 Foundation supports youth sport programs and public education about the role of sports in positive youth development. It is a private, nonprofit institution created by the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee to manage the surplus from the 1984 Summer Olympics.

The Play Equity Fund is a public charity established in 2014 to support and expand the work and impact of the LA84 Foundation.

The fund focuses specifically on bringing the transformational power of sport and structured play to all children, regardless of their ZIP code and socio-economic status.

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