Steer for Student Athletes, a nonprofit organization based in Rye, is committed to provide funding and services for identified student athletes to achieve better personal development and educational outcomes through athletic participation. On May 17 from 6:30-9:30, Steer will host its Third Annual Spring Graduation Banquet at Lake Isle Country Club in Eastchester.

The evening is primarily dedicated to commemorating the graduates of the Steer program, which includes three student athletes, all of whom will be attending four-year colleges or universities in the fall. The event will also feature the unveiling of a new collaborative partnership with Laureus USA.

Laureus, a global sport-based nonprofit organization founded by Nelson Mandela, works to improve the lives of young people. At the 2000 inaugural Laureus World Sports Awards, Mandela said, “Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. Sport can awaken hope where there was previously only despair.”

Regarding the new partnership, Michael Eck, Steer for Student Athletes co-founder and CEO states, “We are honored to be working with Laureus USA to build a New York-centric coalition around the national Sport for Good initiative. Laureus is the largest and most impactful Sport for Good organization in the world and our partnership further demonstrates the power and effectiveness of the Steer for Student Athletes model.”

Steer has launched a significant capital campaign to support having 100 student athletes successfully participate in the program across multiple schools in some of the largest and most challenged public school districts in the country by 2020. To learn more, visit www.SteerForStudentAthletes.org/100by2020.

They have also introduced a Steer Ambassador Program hoping to gain the support of individuals, families, and named sponsors who share the value system that positive engagement with sports can be used to change educational and social outcomes. Learn more at www.steerforstudentathletes.org/steerambassadors or call

917-693-8745.

Caption: Steer students with co-founder Michael Eck, back row center