Nexen Tire America, Inc. has partnered with Manchester City Football Club’s global community initiative, Cityzens Giving, to promote the importance of healthy living to youngsters across Los Angeles through the power of football.

Although Los Angeles is a city with a passion for healthy living, 30% of young people are classed as overweight or obese and, as a consequence, are more likely to develop non-communicable diseases like diabetes at a young age. Nexen Tire has teamed up with Manchester City to support the Cityzens Giving Healthy Goals program. Over the Thanksgiving holiday, Manchester City community coaches spent four days delivering training to 16 Young Leaders on a field first donated to East LA Rising by Manchester City and the UAE Embassy in 2011.

Using classroom and on-the-pitch workshops, the Young Leaders developed their leadership and life skills, practical planning and an understanding of how to use football as a tool to educate local youngsters on the benefits of exercise and nutrition and to promote healthy lifestyle choices. The four-day training culminated in the Young Leaders putting their newly developed skills into action by planning and delivering a Thanksgiving football festival for up to 100 children from the local community on the final day.

Nexen Tire donated 60 turkeys which were gifted to families in need from the local area.

“We are incredibly proud to be an official supporter of the Cityzens Giving Healthy Goals program,” said Kyle Roberts, senior director of  marketing for Nexen Tire. “We can see its impact on young people and families in Los Angeles, and it’s an honor to be making a difference to the lives of these amazing individuals.”

The Cityzens Giving Healthy Goals program was launched in 2017. To date, the program has helped to train 30 Young Leaders who have positively impacted the lives of 195 young people in LA using the universal language of football.