Helping East Grand Forks Kids One Sport at a Time

7/21/2017

Growing up in East Grand Forks, ND, Brian Nunn and his siblings—sister Laurie Konze and brothers Kevin and Jim Nunn—didn’t have much, but their parents, Judy and Harold Nunn, always made sure they could play sports. The Nunns supported not only their kids but others in the community, as well. A proponent of equal rights in athletics, Judy worked to establish a girls’ hockey team along with other sports in East Grand Forks!

J and H Nunn Sports Foundation

Fast forward several years to when Brian was working at Play it Again Sports. Time and time again, he’d see kids come in who wanted to participate in sports, but whose families couldn’t afford the equipment or fees. Each similar encounter bothered him, especially since Brian had learned firsthand how participating in sports could make a difference in a person’s life. Playing sports had reinforced the life skills and traits he’d learned at home, such as leadership, perseverance, and the importance of teamwork. Not to mention it had fostered a healthy, active lifestyle, all of which he benefitted from as an adult.

With something needing to be done to help kids in his community, Brian and his siblings were just the people to do it. In memory of and inspired by his parents, Brian founded the J and H Nunn Sports Foundation to make sure every child has the opportunity to play a sport they love. As Brian learned growing up, winning takes a team. Laurie is vice president of the foundation, Jim and Kevin are a huge help, and Danielle Grant is the foundation’s director. Through fundraising efforts, the foundation is able to set up a prepaid account with Play it Again Sports Grand Forks from which local children may access funds for sports equipment. After a child fills out an application, J and H Nunn Sports Foundation provides a certificate with an amount to spend as well as a list of equipment needed for their sport. With that in hand, they can head to Play it Again Sports Grand Forks to shop for the items on their list. Doing so is both fun and empowering since kids can pick the necessary equipment in the color, size and style they like.

A Great Sports Fundraiser

On September 23, J and H Nunn Sports Foundation is throwing its first black-tie dinner fundraiser with a silent auction at the University of North Dakota’s Gorecki Alumni Center. For ticketing, Brian searched online and came across our Black Tie Gala design, whose look he liked almost as much as the pricing! Folks can buy event tickets for $50 each (or two for $85), companies can display their logo on a table for $100, and anyone can buy an entire table with tickets for $350. So far, the foundation has received all kinds of great items for the silent auction, including a Grand Forks Knight Rider Hockey jacket by Bauer, a handmade hockey-themed coffee table, autographed baseballs from the Minnesota Twins, two tickets to a UND men’s basketball game, and an autographed basketball from UND alumni! After costs, money raised through ticket sales and the silent auction will go toward making sports accessible to community kids in need.

Though we are playing a small part, all of us at Eventgroove are honored to help the J and H Nunn Sports Foundation reach its fundraising goal!