Who Are We?
Our Mission
Gear 4 Kids is a community-driven initiative dedicated to supporting youth sports by highlighting local hero coaches and ensuring that teams have the equipment they need to succeed. We focus on bridging the gap for athletes in underfunded areas by connecting coaches who have specific needs with generous donors willing to provide monetary donations for various youth sports gear. Through our platform, we shine a spotlight on coaches making a difference in their communities while facilitating donations for essential equipment, ensuring that every young athlete has the opportunity to play, grow, and thrive. Here at G4K, we believe a lack of gear should never stop someone from enjoying the sport they love!
Equipping Our Local Teams
We are committed to ensuring that no child is left behind due to a lack of resources. Our approach is designed to meet the unique needs of teams, coaches, and individual players. We highlight specific coaches’ needs for their teams on individual landing pages, allowing the community to rally around their requests, ranging from individual players to entire teams, and even larger-scale facility improvements in some cases. These personalized shareable pages serve as a powerful platform for coaches to raise awareness and connect with supporters, making it easy for their message to be spread throughout the broader community. If you know of any coaches with potential needs, please feel welcome to nominate them above or share our page!
Highlighting Hero Coaches
We believe that the true heroes of youth sports are the dedicated coaches who go above and beyond to inspire, mentor, and support their players both on and off the field. Our mission is to celebrate these unsung champions by sharing their stories, highlighting the positive impact they make in their communities, and ensuring their teams have the necessary resources to thrive. By nominating a Hero Coach, you help us shine a spotlight on those who work tirelessly to make a difference, recognizing their dedication, leadership, and impact.
Highlighting Hero Officials
Dedicated officials uphold the integrity of the game. They help keep it fun by ensuring a fair and safe environment for everyone and making sure all are included. By sharing their stories, we aim to highlight their commitment and positive influence on athletes, the game, and everyone who participates. Nominating a Hero Official helps us shine a light on those who work diligently to ensure the game is safe, fun, and fair.
Coaches & Communities in Need
Hero Hall of Fame
Official Hall of Fame
Former charity basketball referee
Richard "Rick" Hall (1971-2021) was a dedicated basketball official and community advocate whose life was defined by passion and service. For over 25 years, he officiated games from high school to professional leagues, including Ice Cube's Big3. Beyond the court, Rick was a tireless volunteer for the National Kidney Foundation, organizing fundraising tournaments and receiving the All-Star Volunteer Award in 2019. He was known for his integrity and his deep belief that his love for the game could be used to serve a greater purpose.
G4K Success Stories
Kicking Off Success: Launching Our First Coach in Need Campaign
At Gear 4 Kids, we take pride in using innovative technology to make a real difference in our community, and Coach Mike Rosenband’s story launch marks an exciting milestone. Powered by Technology 4 Causes and leveraging tools donated by Dicorp, we have successfully built our very first "Coach in Need" landing page—a personalized platform to highlight Coach Mike’s needs and help his team thrive.
The success of the page starts with the dedication of our student interns, who traveled to Carver Vocational High School to conduct interviews with Coach Mike, capturing his story and his team’s challenges. The Transformation Guild interns built and configured a fully customized, shareable page tailored to Coach Mike’s needs. The result is a platform where he can spread the word about his team’s goals and challenges, rallying the community for support in a way that’s never been easier or more impactful.
Since launching the page, it has already garnered significant traffic, with an increasing number of visitors learning about Coach Mike’s team and mission. This visibility gives us confidence that community support will help him accomplish his goals, equipping his players with the facilities they need.
The successful launch of Coach Mike’s landing page marks an exciting step forward in connecting community heroes with the resources they need. By blending innovative technology, heartfelt storytelling, and community-driven support, our newest landing page paves the way for a brighter future; We can’t wait to celebrate even more success stories soon!
Looking Forward to Future Wins
Gear 4 Kids is still in its early stages, so we don’t have many success stories to share just yet, but we’re excited to embark on this journey of supporting local teams and athletes in need. As we continue to grow, we look forward to continuing to share more inspiring stories here on our site, showcasing how community support has empowered local teams. We’re thrilled to see what the future holds and can’t wait to celebrate the transformative impact each donation makes.
Spotlights in the Sports Community
The John Simpers Baseball Service Award
Honoring a Legacy:
John Edward Simpers Sr. dedicated nearly five decades to supporting amateur baseball umpire associations and youth sports in Harford County. Simpers played a vital role in building and maintaining high school umpiring programs, recruiting, training, and mentoring officials to ensure games were officiated with integrity and professionalism. He was involved in local programs like the Susquehanna League, where he worked tirelessly to promote positive experiences for young athletes and his commitment to the game and its players left a lasting impact. After his passing in 2018 at the age of 73, his legacy was honored through the creation of The John Simpers Baseball Service Award.
The John Simpers Baseball Service Award:
Established in 2018, the award recognizes individuals who exemplify John Simpers’ dedication to amateur baseball in Harford County. Each year at the Harford Men’s Baseball League (HMBL) spring event, a recipient is honored for their outstanding service to the community. In addition to the recognition, a stipend is provided to support youth umpires, helping them purchase essential equipment and continue their journey in officiating. Since its inception in 2018, six honorees have been awarded, and more than $1,000 has been given to help young umpires invest in proper gear.
Continuing the Tradition of Service:
The award has celebrated outstanding figures in the local baseball community, starting with its inaugural recipient, Robert Riale, in 2018. In 2019, Matt Miller was honored for his commitment to growing baseball in Harford County. His recognition was followed by awards for Ray Laird in 2020 and Chris Benjes in 2021, both of whom have dedicated decades to mentoring young umpires and fostering a competitive but fair playing environment. The most recent honorees include Chuck Green in 2022 and Leon Whitmill in 2023. Alongside recognizing these individuals, stipends donated by the Kutcher Foundation have helped equip new umpires like Joe Mundo, Sean Donovan, Kyle Perkins, and C.J. Nimmo, ensuring that young officials have the tools and support necessary to uphold the standards John Simpers championed. For a complete list of past recipients and more details about The John Simpers Baseball Service Award, visit the Kutcher Foundation website linked above.
Powered By
Technology 4 Causes
The mission of Technology 4 Causes (T4C) is to support specialized assistance programs and charitable initiatives, expanding their positive impact through the multiplying powers of technology, networking, and collaboration.
The vision of Technology 4 Causes is to operate numerous Mentoring Programs, Technology Assistance Programs, Sports 4 Causes Programs, and Helping Hubs. The combination of these initiatives creates a powerful multiplying effect for all T4C activities powered by a common technology platform and philanthropic infrastructure.
Delivered By
Transformation Guild
The Transformation Guild is a mentoring program of Technology 4 Causes, which was launched by the Kutcher Foundation in collaboration with DICORP, Inc. to create a powerful philanthropic impact through the multiplying forces of technology. The Guild is dedicated to harnessing the power of writing and technology to create a positive impact in society. Our primary focus is to engage and inspire young writers to craft compelling stories that encourage involvement in non-profit organizations and charitable initiatives. By providing guidance and instruction through mentorship, we ensure that these young writers receive the necessary support to thrive. Through their participation in this program, they gain invaluable experience while contributing to a greater cause.