Local business helps youth program hit by vandals

Electronics recycling company, Turtle Wings, helps the Benning Terrace football program in Southeast Washington, DC, get back to its mission of keeping local youth off the street and in school.

WASHINGTON, DC, June 8, 2010 -- “My grandmother, Leah, who was born in the 1800’s, had a huge crush on Roger Staubach. I remember her as an old lady sitting on the couch watching football. She loved the Cowboys and was furious whenever someone knocked down her beloved quarterback or intercepted his passes,” recalls Elizabeth Wilmot, founder and president of Turtle Wings, an electronics recycling and data destruction company.

“I have always loved football and share my Grandmother’s love for the Dallas Cowboys despite living in Redskins territory. I was devastated to hear that vandals ransacked the Pop Warner football program offices of the Benning Terrace Soldiers,” added Wilmot. Elizabeth and several other Turtle Wings employees went over to see what they could do to help. The place had been totally trashed. Furniture and equipment were covered with spray paint. Jerseys were stolen and photos of the team were mutilated. Nothing was left untouched.

The Benning Terrace football program in Southeast Washington, DC, has been a beacon of light, keeping local youth off the street and in school. Discipline, focus and working together as a team are at the heart of the program. The local playing field, once a place of violence between rival gangs, is now a well maintained football field where team members assist in preparing the field for games and practices.

Today, the headquarters are starting to make a comeback. There are new floors and freshly painted walls. Turtle Wings provided computers, desks, a TV, and underwrote new footballs to help the team get off to a new start. “Our company is dedicated to helping the earth by providing globally beneficial recycling of electronics and we thought we could help in this way too,” added Jairus Wright, Marketing Manager for Turtle Wings.

“We have a number of people in our organization who are committed to volunteering and we think that this program is a worthwhile cause that we, as a company, can rally around,” added Elizabeth. “We plan to continue to support this group for the foreseeable future.”

The Benning Terrace Soldiers are coached by a volunteer, Charles Penny who has dedicated his life to helping youth in the community in order to pay back a good deed that benefited him as a youth. Although Penny is a Redskins fan, Elizabeth and Charles share the same love for football and the difference it makes in the lives of young people.

Contact: Jairus Wright Turtle Wings 301-583-8399 http://turtlewings.com