Carter Kids – Carter Oosterhouse

Carter’s Kids is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating and promoting awareness of fitness and self-esteem for America’s youth. The purpose is to increase the activity level of kids by building and developing community parks and playgrounds in their neighbourhoods. The kids then have the opportunity to take an active part in building up their community by using, sharing, and caring for these public spaces.

My team and I will collaborate closely with the neighbourhood kids as they are active participants in the building process from beginning to end. They will assist in planning, developing and executing the playground or youth center. The collaborative effort gets them active and creates a connection with the kids and their “space” so that they gain that sense of ownership and care for a place that they helped build. From my experience as a young kid building things, there is no greater sense of satisfaction when you see something that you’ve built being enjoyed by others. I hope to impart that same feeling in our young builders with Carter’s Kids.

Our purpose of promoting activity, nutrition and fighting childhood obesity, has led us to build playgrounds in communities all over the United States. We have experienced firsthand, the positive effect that each playground has brought to their community. Carter’s Kids is actively seeking corporate sponsorships to help us fulfill our mission.

You can send donations, gifts, and general inquiries to:

Carter’s Kids,
16255 Ventura Blvd. Suite #625,
Encino, CA 91436
quay@carters-kids.org

Thank you!

4TH ANNUAL CARTER’S KIDS CHARITY GOLF EVENT

In August, Carter’s Kids hosted their 4th Annual Carter’s Kids Charity Golf Event to benefit Carter’s Kids. The event was held at Lochenheath Golf Club and thanks to all of our supporters, the event was sold out! Carter’s Kids wants to give a special thank you to our lead sponsors for the golf event…Cambria….Lake Michigan Credit Union…Fox Motors…..IT Resources Inc…. We also had the amazing music of Nashville artist, Mat Kearney, who put on an incredible acoustic set that had the crowd cheering loudly. Thanks Mat! We also want to thank NBC affiliate TV 7 & 4 for their support and their anchor Kristen Lowe, for emceeing the event at night.

TWO NEW PLAYGROUNDS IN DETROIT

On August 6th, Carter’s Kids completed 2 new playgrounds at Pulaski Elementary School in Detroit. The existing playgrounds were too old and small to support the volume and the ages of the children at the school. By creating the two new playgrounds, it not only helps childhood obesity but it also helps the community to grow. The playgrounds were funded by Quicken Loans and we thank them for their support!

PHOENIX, AZ PLAYGROUND

For the 5th year in a row, Carter’s Kids built a playground at the site of the Super Bowl. January of 2015, found us in Phoenix, Arizona for a very special playground project. The playground location was a program that takes in children who had to be removed from their homes, due to abuse etc.

Our project partners, Lowe’s and Rebuilding Together were equally as excited as we were to build this special playground and despite rainy weather, a beautiful new playground was built.

SACRAMENTO, CA PLAYGROUND

In November of 2014, Carter’s Kids went across the country to Sacramento, CA. This playground project was very unique, the setting was Soil Born Farms, which is an organic farm which raises multiple types of produce, as well as being a teaching farm for children’s school and community groups. So our goal was to build a play area for the children, that fit into the setting of the farm. Our design included play honeycombs, trees, etc. This project was with our partnership with Lowe’s and Rebuilding Together and once again, a fantastic crew of Lowe’s volunteers to help us build.

RALEIGH, NC PLAYGROUND

In October of 2014, the town of Garner, right outside of Raleigh, North Carolina brought in Carter’s Kids to build a brand new playground in one of their city parks. This playground was built in a beautiful wooded park site that badly needed to have a place for the neighborhood children to play.

Thanks to our sponsors, Lowe’s and their hard-working crew of volunteers, Garner has a beautiful new playground.

THE TRAVERSE CITY BEACH BUM’S ‘CARTER’S KIDS’ NIGHT

In July of 2014, The Traverse City Beach Bums baseball team hosted a fantastic evening at Wuerfel Park, called the Carter’s Kids night at Wuerful Park. It was a very special evening at the ballpark, especially since the Beach Bums were wearing special designed Carter’s Kids baseball jerseys for the game.

Carter and Amy both threw out the first pitch before the game and were able to sign autographs and take pictures throughout the game. We so appreciate the Wuerful family and their hospitality!

CHICAGO, IL PLAYGROUND

In May of 2014, the South Side of Chicago was the site of a Carter’s Kids playground build. We had the great fortune of getting to work with an amazing school, called the O’Keeffe School. The entire administrative staff, teachers and students at O’Keeffe were amazing! When we arrived, the only area they had available for play, was an asphalt parking lot. Thanks to the Chicago School District and our partners at Lowe’s and Rebuilding Together, we were able to remove an entire area of asphalt and replace it with a very unique playground. The playground design in Chicago, included some of the newest types of play equipment and the play space is amazing.

NEW BASKETBALL COURT ON GOOD MORNING AMERICA, NY

In early May of 2014, Carter’s Kids traveled to New York City to film a project for GOOD MORNING AMERICA. We were extremely happy to be asked to build a brand new basketball court for NewFlex, which is a basketball program run by the amazing Nesta Felix. Nesta’s programs help to keep kids off the streets after school and to encourage them to develop academically, socially and also embrace athletics. We once again called on our great friends at Lowe’s to provide volunteers to help build the basketball court. The new court is beautiful and will serve as a fantastic play space for the children in this neighborhood. Also, much thanks to our new friends at Connor Sport Court.

WASHINGTON DC PLAYGROUND OPENED

CARTERS KIDS FUN RUN

Each year, the National Cherry Festival takes places in the beautiful resort city of Traverse City, Michigan. The National Cherry Festival annually draws between 500,00-600,000 visitors. For the 3rd consecutive year, the National Cherry Festival has hosted the Carter’s Kids Fun Run at the National Cherry Festival. This run is for children and families of all ages and this year, Carter’s Kids set a brand new record for participants, with over 550 runners!

The racecourse is one mile long and the course is lined with tens of thousands of patrons, all rooting for the participants. We are looking forward to reaching over 1,000 children running, very soon!

CARTER AND DWYANE WADE REFURBISH BOYS & GIRLS CLUB, DALLAS

Last weekend, HGTV host Carter Oosterhouse stood in a Dallas gymnasium and got to announce the arrival of superstar Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade. While not one of their hometown players, Wade was in town for the NBA’s All-Star weekend, and the duo received cheers not only for their on-camera talents, but for the time they were committing to the Turnkey Boys & Girls Club of southern Dallas.
Oosterhouse’s nonprofit organization Carter’s Kids works to promote fitness and self-esteem to young people. With much of the nation’s focus on the childhood obesity epidemic, America’s Boys & Girls Clubs need added attention to encourage healthy, active lifestyles. “The Boys & Girls Clubs do wonderful things,” Oosterhouse said. “[The Turnkey Boys & Girls Club] is the oldest in Dallas. It had seen better days.”
Carter’s Kids, along with the Wade’s World Foundation — Dwyane Wade’s nonprofit entity — completely refurbished the club, built a new playground, repainted the gym walls and added new lights, in what they called The Big Assist. “The reaction was amazing,” Oosterhouse said. “That’s why I started Carter’s Kids. When you get that natural response that only kids can give, it’s so worthwhile. They were so excited to see Dwyane Wade.
They felt it was really cool that people were reaching out and supporting them.

The Wade’s World Foundation supports education and health for at-risk children through local programs. Wade has said his goal is to leave the world better than he found it, based on his mother’s encouragement that life is bigger than basketball. Oosterhouse agrees that community-based involvement is where to start. “I definitely think you have to be local first,” he said. “Whatever
you can do, whether it’s your local school or a local Boys & Girls Club. There’s the front line of trying to attack this problem and curb childhood obesity.”

You can contribute to either the Wade’s World Foundation or to Carter’s Kids to further these charitable efforts.