Press Releases

BAWSI gets its first headquarters in San Jose's new City Hall

SAN JOSE, Calif. (June 23, 2005) - The Bay Area Women's Sports Initiative (BAWSI) began putting women athletes to work improving the lives of Bay Area girls last spring. It has existed as a virtual entity on the Internet at www.bawsi.org for several months.

Soon it will have a real bricks-and-mortar home.

Thanks to the support of Mayor Ron Gonzales and the City of San José, BAWSI will have its first headquarters in the new City Hall, 200 East Santa Clara St., in downtown San Jose. The announcement was made at a news conference today on the 33rd anniversary of the passage of Title IX by the U.S. Congress, guaranteeing girls equal opportunity in school sports.

"We're very grateful for the support of our Mayor and home city in helping us achieve our goal of improving the lives of women and girls through sports," said Marlene Bjornsrud, BAWSI's CEO. "The sports world needs the full participation of women, and women must share in the full benefits of athletics."

"Women's sports are important for our residents and our community, and I'm delighted to provide an assist for BAWSI while they build their organization that will increase support and opportunities for women and girls in San Jose and the Bay Area," said Mayor Gonzales. "I look forward to having them as our temporary neighbors in the new City Hall."

BAWSI, co-founded by Bjornsrud and soccer star Brandi Chastain, is a non-profit organization that will enlist the talent and experience of Bay Area women athletes in improving the lives of children and women. Its first project, GoGirlGo!, which combats obesity and low self-esteem among teen-age girls, was begun at San Jose's Overfelt High School in partnership with School Health Clinics of Santa Clara County using college and professional athletes as mentors and coaches. It will expand to six school campuses this fall.

Also in the fall, BAWSI will inaugurate three additional programs. Two involve women athletes from local college and university campuses who will begin regular visits to young hospital patients to bring hope to them and their families and who also will inspire confidence and self-esteem among children in domestic violence shelters through sports activities. The third, Women Running the Country, is aimed at women leaders in business, government and education and will train them to take care of their own health through individual physical fitness regimens.

BAWSI has applied for designation as a private nonprofit 501 (c) (3) tax exempt corporation.

CONTACT: Jody Meacham
BAY AREA WOMEN'S SPORTS INITIATIVE
408.833.5936     jody@bawsi.org