Community leaders, elected officials, sports legends and local youth recently announced the relaunch of an expanded Camden Health and Athletic Association (CHAA).
Camden Community Partnership President and CEO Dana Redd, Cooper University Health Care Chairman George E. Norcross, III, Cooper University Health Care co-CEO Anthony Mazzarelli, Eagles legend Ron Jaworski and Camden Mayor Victor Carstarphen were all on hand to commemorate the center’s launch which will provide expanded athletic and wellness programs for Camden city youth.
Dana Redd who served as Camden’s Mayor when CHAA started nearly 10 years ago and who as current president of the Camden Community Partnership (CCP) will assume management responsibilities of the relaunched CHAA applauded the re-launch.
“Since its founding almost a decade ago, the Camden Health and Athletic Association has provided support, guidance and funding to schools, community-based leagues, and local organizations to harness the power of sports to build a stronger, healthier community,” she said. “Through CHAA, thousands of children have benefited from CHAA’s efforts, and today’s relaunch represents a bold new chapter—one that builds on past success to meet the needs of Camden’s youth for years to come.”
CHAA was first announced in June 2016 by a group of civic, healthcare, and sports leaders led by Cooper University Heath Care Chairman George E. Norcross, III. Backed by an initial $1 million investment from The Cooper Foundation, The Norcross Foundation, and AmeriHealth New Jersey, CHAA was designed to serve as the umbrella entity to support existing programs, launch new ones, streamline equipment and uniform purchases, expand facility access, and coordinate health-focused partnerships across the city.
“When we first founded CHAA in 2016 – myself, Dan Hilferty, and sports legends Ron Jaworski, Mike Quick, Garry Maddox, and Billy Hunter – we did so because we knew the positive role youth sports played for all of us and so many others,” Norcross said.
The relaunched and expanded CHAA will focus on four core goals designed to remove barriers, strengthen infrastructure, and create sustainable opportunities for young athletes:
- Expand Youth Sports Access & Participation. Engage 1,000+ Camden youth, reducing financial barriers through free skills clinics and enhanced programs in underserved neighborhoods.
- Improve Coaching & Leadership Development. Elevate coaching standards by providing year-round comprehensive training and certification programs.
- Integrate Health & Wellness into Youth Sports. Provide free sports physicals, injury prevention education, nutrition workshops, and mental health and resilience support.
- Build Sustainable Funding. Secure $250,000+ in funding through corporate sponsorships, grants, and philanthropic giving.
Also participating in the relaunch event were Camden Mayor Victor Carstarphen, a Camden High School basketball standout and 1986 graduate, and Eagles legend and current NBC Sports Philadelphia commentator Ron Jaworski, who participated in the organization’s 2016 launch.
