Today is an exciting day for organizations in Minnesota like ours; it’s “Give to the Max Day”! We would be honored and humbled if you’d consider contributing to the V3 Center. Every dollar helps and we continue to be amazed by the compassion and generosity of our community. More and more people, every day, are embracing our mission and vision as we continue to raise funds for a center that represents an investment in our community and residents in North Minneapolis.
Today is an exciting day for organizations in Minnesota like ours; it’s “Give to the Max Day”! We would be honored and humbled if you’d consider contributing to the V3 Center. Every dollar helps and we continue to be amazed by the compassion and generosity of our community. More and more people, every day, are embracing our mission and vision as we continue to raise funds for a center that represents an investment in our community and residents in North Minneapolis.
Just this week we we were honored to host the MN House of Representatives Capital Investment Committee as they toured the future home of V3 Center and learned more about the V3 vision. We want to give special recognition to Northside members Representative Esther Agbaje (district 59B – V3 district) and committee chair Representative Fue Lee (district 59A), valued advocates who helped facilitate this visit. We’ll keep you posted on the V3 conversations happening at the Minnesota State Capitol.
Regardless, we still need your help as we get closer to our fundraising goal for Phase 1 of the V3 Center, which includes community space and the 25-yard instructional pool. Also, make sure you check watch and share the video we just put together celebrating our past success and highlighting our future, which is focused on narrowing the gap on health and wellness inequities while also becoming an economic driver for the Northside and the region at large.
And finally, please see the message below from our new V3 Board President Analyah Schlaeger dos Santos. She is a V3 alum and current community advocate who has a passion for swimming and helping our organization tackle drowning disparities and wellness-access inequities.
Sincerely,
Erika Binger
V3 Sports has been life-changing for me, to say the very least. As a child, when I started swimming with V3 (before it became V3, that is), I had no idea I’d be entering into a lifelong community formed around sports and culture. V3 not only enriched my passion for swimming, it also nourished a deep love and passion for serving our community and leading movements that impact Minneapolis.
Years ago, I was lucky to join a team with other V3 triathletes. We were the first team of BIPOC kids in the nation to compete in the USA Junior Olympics Triathlons. In 2021, I’ve been given this incredible opportunity to be part of this vision of a future for the young people of North Minneapolis, and trust me, it’s been everything I could have hoped for. The immeasurable lessons I’ve learned while being in the V3 family have pushed me to do better for myself. Right now, I’m joined by others that have that same passion for community and healing relations both internally and externally (physical body and otherwise). That’s the basis of everything I do as an organizer and young adult.
“It is my deepest hope that V3 becomes a center for co-creation, creating a movement that exudes enormous pride in the Northside.”
— Analyah Schlaeger dos Santos
We live in a state with bodies of water around every corner, so we owe it to each and every person in Minnesota to ensure they know how to save themselves in the water. Regardless of whether you come from a place where nobody knows how to swim, or you come from a place where everyone knows how to swim, it is imperative that we, as conscious individuals, support projects that seek to uplift every member of the communities that are heavily impacted by various environmental harms.
I am still learning how to best serve my community, but it is my deepest hope that V3 becomes a center for co-creation, creating a movement that exudes enormous pride in the Northside. I will continue to hold on to what V3 has taught me (and continues to teach me). I want everyone to have the opportunity to foster a passion for moving their bodies and minds. By supporting this project, you are playing a vital role in making the dreams of thousands come true. The V3 Center gives us the opportunity to impact our community in such a profound way, flipping the script on longstanding injustices and inequities!
Analyah Schlaeger dos Santos