Smokin’ Joe Frazier Foundation

“Project KNOCKOUT"

WEST PALM BEACH

The Gary Carter (#8) Foundation under the direction of the Smokin’ Joe Frazier Foundation facilitate “Project KNOCKOUT” where they will expand their UPGRADES Program to include “KNOCKOUT Readers in the following schools:

Barton Elementary                    Lake Worth, FL

Belvedere Elementary              West Palm Beach, FL

Bethune Elementary                 Riviera Beach, FL

Forest Park Elementary           Boynton Beach, FL

Lantana Elementary                  Lantana, FL

Lincoln Elementary                   Riviera Beach, FL

Rolling Green Elementary         Boynton Beach, FL

West Riviera Elementary         Riviera Beach, FL

 

Targeted Schools: 2008 – 2009

Galaxy Elementary Boynton Beach, FL

Washington Elementary Riviera Beach, FL

Westgate Elementary West Palm Beach, FL

Greenacres Elementary Greenacres, FL

Roosevelt Elementary West Palm, Beach, FL

Palmetto Elementary West Palm Beach, FL

All of these schools are Title 1 schools - they have more than 50% of their students receiving free or reduced lunch.  Some schools have over 90% of their students receiving free or reduced lunch.  Several of them also have large ESOL populations, or students that speak languages other than English.  Belvedere, for example, has an ESOL population near 90%. 

For most of the students in the UPGRADES program education is the only way to pull themselves out of the poverty cycle.  The program challenges the kids to read and shows them the rewards if they work hard - the same philosophy Gary Carter had when he was a professional baseball player.