Community leaders, sports legends and elected officials announced the relaunch of an expanded Camden Health and Athletic Association (CHAA), which for almost a decade has been making sports and wellness programs available to Camden city youth.
Participants in the press conference included Camden Community Partnership (CCP) president and CEO Dana L. Redd, Cooper University Health Care chairman George E. Norcross III, Cooper University Health Care co-CEO Anthony Mazzarelli, Eagles legend Ron Jaworski and Camden Mayor Victor Carstarphen.
“Since its founding almost a decade ago, the Camden Health and Athletic Association has provided support, guidance and funding to schools, community-based leagues and local organizations to harness the power of sports to build a stronger, healthier community,” said Redd, who served as Camden’s mayor when CHAA started, and who as current president of the CCP will assume management responsibilities of the relaunched CHAA. “Through CHAA, thousands of children have benefited from CHAA’s efforts, and today’s relaunch represents a bold new chapter — one that builds on past success to meet the needs of Camden’s youth for years to come.”
CHAA was first announced in June 2016 by a group of civic, health care and sports leaders led by Cooper University Heath Care Chairman George E. Norcross III. Backed by an initial $1 million investment from The Cooper Foundation, The Norcross Foundation and AmeriHealth New Jersey, CHAA was designed to serve as the umbrella entity to support existing programs, launch new ones, streamline equipment and uniform purchases, expand facility access and coordinate health-focused partnerships across the city.
“When we first founded CHAA in 2016 — myself, Dan Hilferty and sports legends Ron Jaworski, Mike Quick, Garry Maddox and Billy Hunter — we did so because we knew the positive role youth sports played for all of us and so many others,” said Norcross III. “With today’s announcement and changes to the operations and management of CHAA, we are doing more to ensure that every child in Camden has the ability to play sports and build strong, healthy habits regardless of what neighborhood they live in or their family’s ability to pay.”
The relaunched and expanded CHAA will focus on four core goals designed to remove barriers, strengthen infrastructure and create sustainable opportunities for young athletes:
- Expand Youth Sports Access & Participation: Engage 1,000+ Camden youth, reducing financial barriers through free skills clinics and enhanced programs in underserved neighborhoods.
- Improve Coaching & Leadership Development: Elevate coaching standards by providing year-round, comprehensive training and certification programs.
- Integrate Health & Wellness into Youth Sports: Provide free sports physicals, injury prevention education, nutrition workshops and mental health and resilience support.
- Build Sustainable Funding: Secure $250,000+ in funding through corporate sponsorships, grants and philanthropic giving.
The newly relaunched CHAA will be managed by CCP, with dedicated funding from The Cooper Foundation and The Norcross Foundation. CHAA is organized as a 501(c)(3), nonprofit organization with a corporate board and advisory boards for each sport.
Also participating in the event were Camden Mayor Victor Carstarphen, a Camden High School basketball standout and 1986 graduate, and Eagles legend and current NBC Sports Philadelphia commentator Ron Jaworski, who participated in the organization’s 2016 launch.
“I learned so much by playing basketball growing up, especially the importance of teamwork and trusting others in life, lessons I use every day as mayor,” said Carstarphen. “I am excited CHAA expands its reach so even more Camden children can benefit from the same opportunities and life lessons that shaped my journey.”
Jaworski, founder of The Jaws Youth Playbook, said, “Playing organized sports as a kid taught me success isn’t about individual accolades, it’s about lifting each other up as a team. The lessons I learned through sports — collaboration, resilience and trust — have stayed with me throughout my life, whether in the game, the broadcast booth or the boardroom. That’s why CHAA’s work in Camden is so important. It’s giving kids not just the chance to play but the chance to grow into confident, capable leaders on and off the field.”
