Kicks For Kids
812 Russell St., Ste. 100
Covington, KY, 41011
Doug Pelfrey, Jim Breech, Shayne Graham
Kicks For Kids (KFK) was founded in 1995 by Doug Pelfrey, the Cincinnati Bengals’ kicker from 1993-1999 and second leading scorer. A “hometown guy” who starred at the University of Kentucky, Doug started the charity as a result of his passion to help kids and his commitment to the community in which he lives. Jim Breech, the Bengals’ all-time scoring leader who played at Cal and with the Raiders before kicking in Cincinnati from 1980-1992, has served on KFK’s Board since 1996. Shayne Graham, a Virginia Tech graduate and former member of the Bills and Panthers, was the Bengals kicker from 2003-2009 and the first to be named to the Pro Bowl (2005). He joined KFK’s Board in May of 2005.
While the fact that the game-winning field goals of these three men influenced the name of the charity, it is not the main reason they have joined forces. More important than their accomplishments on the gridiron, Doug, Jim and Shayne share an intense concern for children and a desire to give something back to their community. As a result, the mission of the 501(c)(3) organization is to provide area children at risk with opportunities to pursue their dreams. Made available to children who are mentally or physically challenged, or challenged by the environment in which they live, these opportunities are provided through the organization’s interactive programs, by fulfilling the special requests of individual youths, and through a collaborative effort with other local kids’ organizations.
Presently, the areas that are served by KFK are Northern Kentucky, Southeastern Indiana and Greater Cincinnati. As you can see, the mission statement of KFK is very broad in scope, and that was the intention. The goal was for the charity to be able to assist any child who is struggling in the pursuit of his/her dreams. Thus, there are no disease or illness restrictions, race, sex or religion specifications, or other such limitations. While no formal age or socio-economic barriers exist, the charity generally assists children that are under 21 and come from lower to middle income families.
The revenues generated from two fund raisers (the Meijer / KFK Celebrity Golf Classic and the RGI Design River Run), along with the corporate contributions, grants and individual donations that are raised, are utilized by the charity to implement its own programs, fulfill children’s individual requests, and support a group of organizations that assist children at risk in the tri-state.
KFK’s interactive programs include: the Christmas Celebration, which is held at The Cincinnati Zoo during the Festival of Lights and is designed to provide an unforgettable evening for a group of children that would otherwise have a very limited Christmas, if any at all; the Great Outdoor Adventure, where inner city and rural children have an opportunity to fish, “fly” on a zip line, ride horses, participate in a wilderness scavenger hunt and work on team-building exercises with new friends at a site that is far from their everyday neighborhoods; and Field of Dreams, which was set up to fulfill the wishes of critically/chronically ill children.
Since 1995, KFK has positively impacted thousands of young lives through the programs it hosts and the agencies with which it collaborates. After a three-year search, inspired by the desire to reach even more kids, the charity recently purchased 16 acres of land in Fairfield, Ohio that will serve as its own youth complex. As a result, KFK has now provided nearly $1.25 million in assistance. The property will enable KFK to increase its interactive programs by offering facilities that are accessible to children who have handicaps, as well as by providing first-class fields/courts that allow for the hosting of free quality camps — beginning this summer with instructional sports camps. The goal for these new programs will be to improve children’s chances for success in baseball, soccer, basketball, football . . . and life!
The accomplishments of Doug, Jim and Shayne, both on the football field and in our community through KFK, are a source of inspiration to many . . . parents, business owners, athletes, and most importantly, kids with dreams.
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