The James F. Doughty School cheering program received a grant from the Justin J. Watt Foundation to purchase a new set of cheering mats. Cheering is a popular sport at JFDS, with 50 to 75 students trying out each year for the two teams.
Mats are an important piece of equipment in cheering for the safety of the athletes as they perform lifts. The new mats arrived in time for the JFDS Cheering Invitationals.
NFL player Justin J. Watt’s foundation provides support for middle school extracurricular and athletic activities that give children the opportunity to learn the basic character traits of accountability, teamwork, leadership, work ethic, and perseverance while in a safe and supervised environment with their peers.
Watt was the recipient of the prestigious Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide, which recognizes an NFL player who demonstrates excellence on and off the field. The Houston Texan has raised over $37 million for people affected by Hurricane Harvey, and his foundation has provided over $3.4 million to middle schools throughout the country.
