Child & Bike

Our Approach

Our Mission

We believe in the positive impact that activity can have in the life of a special needs child.  At NC Sports for Special Kids we work to provide resources and support for children with developmental disabilities to experience the physical, mental, and social benefits of being active.

Our Vision

A world in which all special needs children can experience the positive physical, mental and social aspects of sport.

 

Our Story

Inspire a Child...

With your donation, you'll be leaving a tangible, positive impact in the life of a special needs child.  Your action can help special needs children to grow physically, mentally and socially.

Meet the Board

The NC Sports for Special Kids leadership is a voluntary group of passionate and dedicated individuals from a variety of professional backgrounds.  Each individual has been impacted by the strength and courage they have seen exemplified in special needs children.  They have been inspired to dedicate their time and talents to improving the lives of disabled children through the healing abilities of community, sports, and perseverance.

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Bill Wickward

General Counsel, AMT Group

Bill is a husband and father of three. He has a physically challenged child who loves to be involved in all kinds of activities with others. He is an inspiration to everyone he meets for his perseverance and attitude. He became involved with NC Sports for Special Kids after seeing firsthand how much Special Kids need a place to play here in the Triangle area.

 

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Doug Warf

Chief Marketing Officer, MDO Holdings

Doug Warf is the Chief Marketing Officer for MDO Holdings – a Raleigh-based investment and management firm. Warf oversees all marketing initiatives for MDO Holding Operating Portfolio companies, which includes: O2 Fitness Clubs, Happy+Hale, Parlor Blow Dry Bar, Midtown Yoga and select CycleBar and Rise Biscuit Doughnut franchises. Warf also provides marketing counsel to several key companies in the MDO Holdings Investment Portfolio.

Prior to joining MDO Holdings, Warf spent 16 years with the Carolina Hurricanes in various sales and marketing roles. His last seven years he served as the Vice President of Marketing – overseeing the Canes four major marketing departments and spearheaded key events like the 2011 NHL All-Star Game and two separate re-designs of the Hurricanes uniform sets.

Warf also served ten years as the Executive Director of the Carolina Hurricanes Kids ‘N Community Foundation where he helped oversee the distribution of more than $5 Million to over 100 different North Carolina non-profit organizations.

Warf was named to Triangle Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 list in 2015 and currently serves on several non-profit boards, including Triangle Family Services, the North Carolina Symphony, The Downtown Raleigh Alliance, the Frankie Lemmon School and  NC Sports for Special Kids.

Warf has always had a passion for sports and an appreciation for making sports available to children of all abilities. He believes no matter what challenge you are personally facing, sports can help teach the importance of teamwork, determination and working towards goals and that everyone should have the opportunity to learn those lessons.

 

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Jimmy Melton

CEO, Grancrete, Inc.

Jimmy Melton is CEO of Grancrete, Inc. He is a graduate of Duke University, both undergraduate and graduate. He has lived and worked in this area since 1981 working in fields including clinical research, education, consulting and now new age building materials.

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Dr. Kevin Kusy

Ph.D & M.S. University of Virginia Chemical Engineering

Kevin Kusy is a native North Carolinian. He attended North Carolina State University (B.S.) and the University of Virginia (M.S. and Ph.D), where he concentrated his studies on Chemical Engineering. Kevin has a true love for sports and competition and has focused a lot of this passion on Ultimate Frisbee, where his teams have won both National and International championships. The confidence, teamwork and leadership skills Kevin developed through sports is invaluable, and he believes every person should have a similar opportunity to play sports and develop these skills. One of the major reasons Kevin joined the NC Sports for Special Kids board was to promote sport and its benefits to others

As a science instructor at a local college, Kevin has recognized how important life skills are to a person's overall development and success. Beyond physical benefits sports offers an excellent tool to teach younger generations life skills like problem solving, perseverance, and cooperation in a controlled and safe environment. Kevin has tried to implement some of these lessons, while coaching youth soccer and views his opportunity with NC Sports for Special Kids as another avenue to touch lives.

Through his experiences as an instructor, competing in sport, and volunteering at church, Kevin has realized that these interactions are as enriching for him as they are for the participants. Events like Night to Shine (a special needs prom) have given him a new perspective on his own life and reminded him to appreciate the little things. Everyday life has so many distractions and responsibilities that we sometimes forget to find the joy in what we do. Thankfully, NC Sports for Special Kids provides more opportunities to share that joy through the love of sport and touch the lives of some wonderful people.

 

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Tripp Loyd

Owner, Loyd Builders

Loyd Builders LLC is a second-generation builder. At a young age, Tripp Loyd began working with his father, a custom home builder in Fayetteville, learning the many aspects of the home building industry. Observing his dad throughout the years gave Tripp the inspiration to pursue his own goals. After graduating from NC State with a civil engineering degree, he started Loyd Builders, LLC. Tripp has been successfully building high end custom homes in the Triangle area since 2000. Developing close relationships with homeowners has been the foundation of Loyd Builders’ success.  Tripp and his wife Amy reside in Cary and enjoy spending time with their three young sons.  His love of sports and his passion for children are great motivators to provide activities for kids with special needs.

Loyd Builders’ experienced staff takes great pride in providing personalized service from the design phase through completion of each home. Our team includes three project managers with over 70 years combined experience, a full support staff to ensure individualized attention for every project, and an in-house design team to assist with the selection process. We work closely with each homeowner to assure that their home is a unique reflection of their family. Loyd Builders has an excellent reputation for engaging only quality vendors and subcontractors, ensuring quality craftsmanship and continued service. Our homeowners will attest that our commitment continues long after the sale. The entire staff, from administration to project management, is here to make the building process an enjoyable experience for our homeowners.

 

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Sandra Darden

CFO, Loyd Builders

Sandra Darden has over 20 years of experience in the custom home industry.  She is currently the CFO for Loyd Builders, LLC.  Sandra is a Raleigh native, who attended North Carolina State University.  She was inspired to join NC Sports for Special Kids having witnessed the challenges faced by her autistic nephew.  She has had the joy of watching her nephew participate in The Miracle League baseball program for many seasons now and is proud that Loyd Builders has helped sponsor the league for the past two years.  Watching her nephew in the program, Sandra has seen the profound effects that sports can have on the life of a child with special needs.  Sandra believes every child, no matter what challenges they face, should have that same chance to experience the joys and benefits of sport.

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Greg Dobbyn

Owner, AMT Group

Greg Dobbyn is President and CEO of AMT Group Inc. which owns companies that manufacture Medical and Scientific equipment. Greg believes that NC Sports for Special Kids can fill some of the service voids that his own late handicapped son faced. By working with NC Sports for Special Kids, Greg hopes to help handicapped children have an engaging, therapeutic, and positive sports related experience.

Greg and his wife Susan live in Creedmoor and have two sons and one daughter. Both Greg and Susan are avid Carolina Hurricanes hockey fans. His daughter Krystina, having graduated from UNC with a degree in chemistry, often playfully chides him for his support of the Duke Blue Devils. Stepson Darin is a former Captain of the United States Marine Corps and son Andrew is completing his PhD at Stony Brook University in New York.

Greg hopes that NC Sports for Special Kids can continue to grow through its association with The Kids ‘N Community foundation, a non-profit Greg is also involved in. He is actively working to help NC Sports for Special Kids realize its long term goal of having a staffed center, where handicapped children can have a positive sports experience. Greg believes that this center can serve the NC special needs community in a unique, therapeutic, and positive way.

 

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Krystina Ashe

Product Manager, AMT Group

Krystina received her chemistry degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. During this time, she worked at the Francis Owen Blood Research Facility on the development of a hemophiliac gauze to aid open-heart surgery hemophiliac patients – now incorporated throughout the US.

Krystina then worked for a UN-backed organization in Liberia and developed school curriculums in the areas of Chemistry, Physics, Biology, and Math, for use in schools throughout West Africa. She currently resides in Raleigh, NC and is the Product Manager for AMT Group – a laboratory equipment company, focused on providing medical devices as well as fume and powder containment solutions.

Since working for AMT Group, Krystina has become an industry expert on laboratory regulations and regularly speaks at conferences worldwide including: ArabLab, Dubai; Lab Expo, Shanghai China; and IACP Educational Conference, Washington, DC to name a few.