‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ movie gear helps Game Changers Foundation support Cape Fear athletes
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WWAY) — Athletic gear from an upcoming “The Summer I Turned Pretty” movie filmed in Wilmington is now helping young athletes across the Cape Fear.
The Game Changers Foundation received a call from the movie’s wardrobe and costume department offering gear left from production.
“Earlier this summer, we got a call from one of the wardrobe costume departments for the Summer I Turned Pretty movie, and they said they had a lot of athletic gear, not very descriptive what that meant, and asked if we would be interested in it for our foundation,” said AmberLynn Pappas, events and fundraising coordinator for the Game Changers Foundation.
The donation included more than 200 pieces of gear, including shoes, clothing, volleyball knee pads, jerseys and practice equipment. Before putting anything up for auction, Game Changers contacted local coaches and teams to identify athletes who could use the items.
“The first priority for us was to get those in the hands of athletes that need them,” Pappas said.
Pappas said rising costs can make it harder for some families to afford sports.
“The cost of everything is going up, so the costs of sports are going up as well, and the athletic gear, the cost of that goes up,” Pappas said. “In New Hanover County, Pender County, and Brunswick County we have areas that are very underfunded, and so we really want to reach those kids the best we can.”
Game Changers also helps families pay for physical therapy and sports performance training, covering anywhere from 20% to 100% of those services. Jasmine Schoonmaker said that assistance has meant a lot to her family and she feels confident about her son Seth’s training.
“The foundation has been helpful… to be able to take him somewhere where I know he’s getting the right training and they are focused on safety, like not tearing up your ACL, it’s peace of mind,” Schoonmaker said.
“The coaches still make it fun but we are still doing what we need to do,” Seth added.
The remaining movie gear is being sold through a silent auction, with proceeds going back toward the foundation’s programs and athletes like Seth.
“People can purchase the items to get a little piece of movie history and then support youth athletes at the same time,” Pappas said.
“We are just trying to make sure our community is taken care of,” Pappas said. “We want to make sure all the athletes in our community have the same opportunities.”
The silent auction runs through Sunday, Sept. 20. Game Changers says items can still be removed from the auction and given directly to athletes or schools that need them.
