The Lids Foundation recently surpassed a cumulative $1.1 million in donations to Our Military Kids, which has resulted in more than 3,000 activity awards to pay for swimming lessons, basketball camp, competitive cheerleading, and many other sports activities since 2013.

“Emeline’s story beautifully illustrates the impact that sports can have on military children during periods of separation and uncertainty,” said Sarah Lim, the Lids Foundation’s Executive Director. “At the Lids Foundation, we are proud to support Our Military Kids in providing opportunities that help young people stay active, build confidence, and maintain meaningful connections with their families. Knowing that these activity awards helped Emeline continue sharing her love of golf with her father throughout his deployment reinforces the importance of investing in military families and the communities that support them.”

According to the Our Military Kids 2026 Program Impact Report, an annual survey of beneficiary families, 88% of participants reported seeing improvement in their children’s physical health and 85% reported a positive impact on their child’s academic performance while participating in their chosen activity. Additionally, 69% of Deployed Program families reported that Our Military Kids-funded activities gave their children something to talk about with their deployed parent, fostering a deeper family connection throughout this time of separation.