News
14th Oct 2011
ACCESS SPORTS article by sports reporter, Joe Turkos
Rox. resident helps the underserved gain access to sports
By Joseph Turkos
About 10 years ago the entrepreneurial spirit grabbed Roxborough resident Alyson Harris. But Harris wasn’t interested in profit or fame. No, instead she was moved by the spirit of charity.
And neither spirit has let go.
Harris is the founder and director of Access Sports, a nonprofit organization that provides at-risk and special needs communities, both children and adults, with tickets to sporting events and avenues to participate in sports-related activities.
Even before Harris, formerly of Wynnewood, began Access Sports, she was dedicated to helping others.
Harris worked at the Devereux Foundation, a nonprofit mental health provider. There she worked with adults who suffered from traumatic brain injuries and mental illness.
In addition to her work at Devereux, Harris also volunteered with an organization called Art-Reach, a nonprofit organization that connects underserved groups with access to the arts and cultural events.
While volunteering with Art-Reach, Harris discovered that the people she worked with and helped desired to attend sporting events. She did some research and found that no organization existed that served that need. And in that true entrepreneurial spirit, Harris started Access Sports.
“I thought there needs to be an organization that provides tickets and access to [sporting] events, because people really want to go to sporting events,” she said. “People in the homes have little interaction with the community or family.”
Harris, who has lived in Roxborough for the past eight years, soon left Devereux and began by approaching sports organizations for tickets. She found the support they provided was endless. Through the years, she has developed close relationships with the various organizations.
Access Sports first provided a client with 10 tickets to a Philadelphia Phantoms game on March 20, 2002. Since then Harris estimates that the group has given away nearly 70,000 donated tickets to events ranging from minor league and college games, to Eagles and Phillies games, to auto races and horse shows. They have also sponsored tennis clinics at the Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis Center and lacrosse clinics taught by John Christmas of the Philadelphia Wings and Andorra native Brain Dougherty of the Philadelphia Barrage.
With its sole office located at 3721 Midvale Ave., Access Sports is organized under Recourses for Human Development, a nonprofit that oversees and supports local social service groups. Harris’ organization serves about 100 groups in the Delaware Valley.
As the only employee, Harris is faced with various challenges. But her biggest challenge is raising funds. The outfit is currently undergoing a reorganization. Part of the overhaul is bringing in board members who can help raise funds and raise the organization’s profile.
“My joy is the access part of sports, and I want to do more, and more, and more with that,” Harris said. “Now I need to tap into the sports part of it and the business side of sports, because it really is a business.”
To raise money, Access Sports held their Second Annual Wiffle Ball Tournament at Campbell’s Field, home of the Camden Riversharks, last month. A celebrity sports auction is planned for March at the Wells Fargo Center.
Harris sees the need for the organization to grow and would like to accommodate every group who contacts her. But she knows that isn’t realistic. Harris envisions that Access Sports will need to change its approach, providing more to services to fewer groups.
“It’s been really wonderful to see the demand for the service,” Harris said. “I think that’s my greatest joy and my biggest frustration at the same time.”
In the meantime Harris marches forward, working to partner with more sports organizations and to do what she can to make a positive difference in the lives of people who are not necessarily a part of the community at large.
“It’s so therapeutic,” Harris said of the benefits of inclusion. “It’s beyond what you would ever know how it impacts these people.”
For more information about Access Sports, visit their website at www.access-sports.org
