At the beginning of each day, the girls practiced warm-up exercises before beginning their sports drills. Donna Hicken and Project Playground were two special guests that attended the camp. Donna Hicken is a local news anchor with First Coast News and the Founder and President of The Donna Hicken Foundation. The sports troupe, Project Playground from New York, tours the country showcasing their remarkable basketball skills while inspiring and encouraging youth to pursue the sport simply for the love of the game. Celebrity coaches ranging from retired NFL football players to University of North Florida coaches and athletes were on hand to give advice and fundamental training to the girls. These skills will continue to benefit the girls long after they complete the sports camp. “We are excited to be part of the Let Us Play! Sports Camp for the eleventh year,” said Connie Hodges, United Way of Northeast Florida President. “This opportunity gives United Way the ability to foster a stronger relationship with our agency partners and help their girls understand the importance of incorporating positive values into their lives.” Since 1996, the sports camp has provided young, at-risk girls in Jacksonville the opportunity to develop physically and mentally through sports. The Let Us Play! Foundation has also set up a permanent scholarship endowment at the University of North Florida for camp graduates. “The camp has been so successful over the past eleven years that we have brought the camp to other cities,” said Leah Barker, Let Us Play! Foundation Director. “We are excited that we can provide this activity to the girls and hope to continue the tradition for many years to come.”