Girls in the Game big help for those in need

For her entire life, Perriy'ea (pronounced like the mineral water Perrier) Clay has been wanting to get into the "Game."

Now granted, little Perriy'ea is only 7 years old. But she's spent a lot of time in her young life just waiting for the chance to be like her big sister and join Girls in the Game.

Girls in the Game is a not-for-profit health and fitness organization based in Chicago dedicated to helping girls use sports as a positive influence in every aspect of their personal development.

On Thursday, I attended a Girls in the Game dinner event at the Marriott Hotel in Chicago call the "Field of Dreams." Hundreds of supporters and participants were on hand to raise money and celebrate the 15th anniversary of the organization, which works with park districts and schools in the city that are unable to provide sports programming to girls.

Unfortunately, there are far too many of them that fall into that category.

Each year, Girls in the Game serves approximately 3,000 school-aged girls in Chicago through after-school programs and summer camps. The organization would gladly work with more girls, if only the additional funding were there.

"I am so, so happy to join 'Girls in the Game,' " a dressed up Perriy'ea said in between bites of her salad. "My sister learned how to play lacrosse. I'm going to learn how to play tennis."

It's not the only thing Perriy'ea will learn.

Girls in the Game is about so much more than the games themselves.

Girls learn about healthy choices at meal time, how to be confident at school and how to make good decisions with their friends.

"It's a holistic approach," said Marilynn Preston, who was the founding chairwoman of the Girls in the Game board of directors. A syndicated fitness columnist, she remains on the board today. "This isn't something that exists to make Olympic champions. It's about how to give girls a good feeling about themselves.

"Sports is not enough. We've got to talk about body image, healthy eating. All of it is important. Holistic programming is the winning formula."

Karli Butler of Rogers Park, who just completed her master's degree at DePaul, sure did come out a winner. Now 27, Butler is a Girls in the Game alum and cherishes her experiences.

She's convinced that she wouldn't be where she is today without them.

"My mom was a Chicago police officer and a single parent," Butler said. "When you're a single parent, it's hard to be there all the time. Without those Girls in the Game programs, I don't know where I would have been or what I would have been doing.

"It's not just about sports and health, it's also about self-esteem and school and academics. You're more likely to stay in school and get involved when you're in something like Girls in the Game. Girls in the Game taught me a lot about myself. It challenged me to try new things, to open my mind."

At the dinner, many guests were opening their wallets. Because the staff at Girls in the Game is relatively small and overhead is low, 80 percent of all donations go directly to girls programming.

Girls in the Game also funds small college scholarships for older girls who serve as counselors for its programs. They work with trained staff members to instruct the younger girls about how to play various sports. They also lead discussions on various life skills.

"I wanted to be a role model for little girls to show them they can be leaders, that they can do something with their lives," said 16-year-old Justyna Krol, who serves as a counselor along with her friend Dezarre Castillo, 17. Both are students at Josephinum Academy on the north side. "Most girls feel so lucky to get this opportunity."

Then again, the same can be said for the counselors.

Said Castillo: "It makes me feel amazing to come home and say, 'Wow, I just helped a little girl today.' I'm really grateful to be a part of this. Girls in the Game is so perfect. It's so helpful. After each workshop, the girls feel so much more confident in themselves. They leave so happy."

The 411: For more information about Girls in the Game, call (312) 633-GAME or visit www.girlsinthegame.org.

pbabcock@dailyherald.com