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Chad Pennington visits Guyandotte child care center
Chad Pennington, Miami Dolphin Quarterback and former Marshall Thundering Herd standout, holds Parker Beaman, 10 months, as he tours Children's Place Childcare Center, in Huntington on Friday, March 5, 2010. He visited several area organizations that have benefited from his 1st and 10 Foundation.
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It wasn't a hefty linebacker, but a toddler who wrapped her arms around the leg of NFL quarterback Chad Pennington.
That was one of many cute moments Pennington shared with kids Friday at Children's Place Inc. in Guyandotte. He visited the child care facility during a three-stop tour of organizations that received grants from his 1st and 10 Foundation.
"Hey Chad! My name is Payton!" one girl exclaimed as Pennington entered the facility.
Pennington, father of three boys, learned about dinosaurs, took time to see a child's blanket, held infants and taught preschoolers how to remove screws from a board. Pennington also signed approximately 85 miniature footballs for the center's children, teachers and staff.
"It's just another experience that I really enjoy," he said. "Coming to a place like this, interacting with the kids and just being a part of an organization like Children's Place solidifies why we do what we do and really makes sense of it all.
"It really simplifies things and shows you what life is all about. Just being able to talk to them about the simple things in life, listen to them and make eye contact with them, all of those little things are so important when they're young," Pennington added.
Pennington played with the Miami Dolphins last year until he injured a shoulder, and this week was in negotiations to re-sign with the team, according to published reports.
The 1st and 10 Foundation provided Children's Place with $8,000 during its Fall 2009 grant cycle. The center used that money to purchase new carpet, furniture and dinnerware. Executive Director Stephanie Vlahos estimated some of the furniture and carpet dated back to the center's opening 30 years ago. Some of the furniture arrived Friday morning, and she assured Pennington the facility is going to look much different.
"Because of the economy, everyone's struggling, including child care centers. Parents are being laid off so they're not sending their kids or paying for that," she said. "We have been forced to tighten the purse strings more and more, and having a generous donation like this has allowed us to purchase things that we've needed that we haven't been able to get."
The former Thundering Herd quarterback and Heisman candidate said his foundation is focused upon a mission of improving the quality of life at all ages. Pennington said supporting early childhood education affects future generations by giving today's children an early start so they feel confident and can interact with others before entering the school system.
Friday's visits were part the foundation's goal to do more than "just send (recipients) checks and wish them the best of luck," Pennington said. The visits give him a chance to interact with the recipients and see the fruit of the foundation's gifts.
"We want our donors to see exactly where their money is going," Pennington said. "They can see, and they can have a personal connection. 'OK, some of the money we spent at the bowling tournament went to Children's Place. It went to Tri-County YMCA in Teays Valley. It went to all of these different places.'"
The YMCA, which is located in Putnam County, was Pennington's second stop. The 1st and 10 Foundation provided the YMCA money to create and renovate on-site, outdoor athletic fields to enhance youth sports programs.
Pennington's final stop was Charleston's Believe in West Virginia, a Christian leadership foundation focused on transforming the state's economic, political, social and spiritual environment. Its grant provided pallet racks for a warehouse that temporarily stores products donated for people in need.
Friday's gifts are part of $110,000 in grants distributed by 1st and 10 during its Fall 2009 grant cycle. The allotment was distributed to organizations throughout West Virginia and East Tennessee. Since its inception in 2003, 1st and 10 has distributed $930,999 to organizations in its geographical focus area. That includes more than $700,000 in West Virginia.
