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Community OutreachShowing up for our community
Movement is our mission, but it has never stopped at the gym. For a decade, Royal Athletes has shown up for the people around us.
Community building is who we are
From the very beginning, Royal Athletes has been rooted in community. Alongside our classes and camps, we feed neighbors, fund education, and keep showing up, because a healthy community is about more than fitness.
Every program below was made possible by coaches, families, and partners who believe in giving back. There's always more to be done, and we'd love your help doing it.
Our outreach work
Five ways we serve our community, all year round.
Feed the Community
Our annual Thanksgiving meal share, nine years strong, bringing good food and fellowship to neighbors.
Learn MoreHBCU Scholarships
Four $2,500 college scholarships each year for students heading to an HBCU or a Division III school.
Learn MoreBack-to-School Drives
Supplies and support that help students start the new school year strong and prepared.
Learn MoreCommunity Walks & Health Events
Wellness walks, fitness days, and health events that bring neighbors together. Everyone welcome.
Learn MoreDetention Center Camps
Basketball camps and clinics inside juvenile detention and rehabilitation centers, meeting young people where they are.
Learn MoreA decade of giving back
A Thanksgiving tradition, nine years strong
Every Thanksgiving, Royal Athletes gathers to share a hot meal and real fellowship with neighbors. What started small has become one of our proudest traditions.
Coaches, families, and volunteers cook, pack, and serve together, reaching communities from the D.C. area to Albany, NY. No one should have to sit out the holiday.
- Nine years and counting
- Hot meals and fellowship shared with neighbors
- Powered entirely by volunteers and donations
Four $2,500 scholarships, every year
Each year Royal Athletes awards four $2,500 college scholarships, a $10,000 fund built in partnership with 16 Lyrics, to graduating seniors taking their next step.
The scholarships support students heading to a Historically Black College or University, or playing a sport at an NCAA Division III school. It's our way of backing the next generation well beyond the gym. The program has run since 2018 and grown every year — from the first $500 awards, up to $1,000, and now to today's four $2,500 scholarships.
How to apply
Who should apply
- Graduating seniors entering college this fall
- Attending an HBCU, or an NCAA Division III school and continuing to play a sport
- A minimum 2.5 GPA
How & when
Applications open each spring, with a deadline in early May. Apply online or email mb@royal-athletes.com with any questions. Follow @royal_athletes for the next cycle.
In partnership with 16 Lyrics · $10,000 total fund
Where our scholars are headed
Our scholarship recipients are headed to HBCUs and Division III schools across the country, and we could not be prouder.
Kyra Foster is at Fisk University, studying biochemistry with a focus on Black maternal health.
Jay'Shun Mathews is at Morehouse College and founded the Black Youth Empowerment Network.
Liam Alberti is at Ithaca College, playing lacrosse and studying physical therapy.
Marques Lewis went to Tennessee State University to study mechanical engineering.
Every student, ready for day one
A new school year shouldn't start with a gap. Our back-to-school drives gather the supplies and support students need to walk in prepared and confident.
It runs as an easy drive-through: families pull up, pop the trunk, and we load it with backpacks, notebooks, calculators, lunch boxes, folders, binders, and more.
- Backpacks and school supplies for students in need
- Run together with local schools and partners
- Held every summer, ahead of the new year
Bringing neighbors together to move
Wellness walks, fitness days, and health events that turn movement into something the whole neighborhood does together. Free, friendly, and open to everyone.
Our Community Walk has run in Prince George's County, MD, pairing an easy walk with music, games, prizes, and a community kickball game once the walking is done.
- Group walks and family-friendly fitness days
- Music, refreshments, games, and prizes
- Always free and open to all
Camps and clinics in detention centers
Royal Athletes brings basketball camps and movement clinics into juvenile detention and rehabilitation centers, meeting young people where they are with energy, equipment, and a coach in their corner.
From the District of Columbia Youth Services Center and beyond, we'll bring a camp or clinic to your facility, because every young person deserves to be coached, challenged, and seen, no matter where they are.
- Basketball camps and skills clinics inside the facility
- Mentorship and movement for justice-involved youth and adults
- Showing up where programming is needed most
Help us do more
Every gift and every volunteer hour goes straight into the community. Join us for the next event.