Rep. Shaban, Mayor Ganim to Hold Press Conference

BRIDGEPORT– State Rep. John Shaban (R-135), founder of the non-profit program Athletes in the Community (AITC), will be presenting a check for nearly $7,000 to the Southwestern Connecticut Grizzlies Football team. The funding, which Shaban helped to secure, is being provided by the CT Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD). The presentation will be held in a brief press conference at Housatonic Community College on Wednesday, February 10th at 11:30 a.m.

Who: State Rep. John Shaban; Honorable Joseph Ganim, Mayor; SWGrizz players and coaches.

What: SWGrizzlies Press Conference; Awarding of DECD funds to recruit and cover team expenses

When: Wednesday, February 10, 2016 at 11:30 a.m.

Where: Housatonic Community College, 90 Lafayette Blvd, Bridgeport, CT. Room BH125 in Beacon Hall.

The Grizzlies are an Intercollegiate Club Football Federation team in southwestern Connecticut that pulls Connecticut community college athletes into a single football team to compete with college club teams in the northeast. The team was started by Coach Bernie Armstrong, a former semi-pro football teammate of Shaban’s and current AITC* board member, with the purpose of keeping former high school athletes, most of whom would otherwise not go to college, involved in sports and school. To be part of the Grizzlies, each player must enroll in a minimum of nine credit hours per semester, participate in mandatory study halls, and have their grades and progress tracked monthly.

*Athletes in the Community (f.k.a. Giants in the Community) is a non-profit organization that was created by Rep. Shaban when he played for and managed the semi-professional Connecticut Giants football team. The goal of Athletes in the Community is to teach young athletes to “work as hard at life as you do at sports.”