Spotlight on the Loudoun Youth Football Experience

Over the years, I have had the distinct pleasure of meeting some amazing people.  I am always asked about the Celebrities and Athlete’s I’ve met but my response is always the same “I would rather share a minute with some of the incredible people behind the scenes of the charities I work with than an hour with a Celebrity or well known Athlete.” And with that in mind, I am going to start writing short introductions and "Spot Light" some of these great people.

One such incredible person is Mark Whitehurst of the Loudoun Youth Football Experience also known as “LYFE”.  I had the great chance to meet Mark several years ago when he called and asking for our help.  As he began to tell me about his charity, I could hear his passion over the phone.  However, when I met him and his wife Melissa and family, that is when I truly could see the depth of his commitment. 

His charity, Loudoun Youth Football Experience is a nonprofit which hosts a totally free football camp where they are surrounded by a highly professional staff of coaches who are there merely to help the kids of Loudoun County, Virginia.  As Mark tells me, there are several other camps in the area but the minimum charge can be from $130.00 to well over $300.00.   “How does a child attend a camp if his or her parents can’t afford it?” 

As a child growing up, Mark didn’t have the luxury of attending a football camp such as the ones described above.  As a father today, a business owner and citizen of Loudoun County, Mark sees the need to give young Athlete’s the mentoring that could someday help them into adulthood.  “Our kids learn so much more than football” said Mark.  “We are there for the kids and the kids only.”

No one at the camp gets a salary with every single dollar they raise going directly back into the community.  Between equipment and field rental, insurance and all the expenses it takes to host such a wonderful outing, LYFE is hosting the “Hall of Fame Dinner & Charity Auction” on August 9^th.

Marks dream is to grow LYFE outside of Loudoun County and move toward and into Washington D.C. and its children.

For more on Mark and the Loudoun Youth Football Experience, go to www.lyfecamps.org.  If you would like to support LYFE, you can contact Mark at Mark@lyfecamps.org.