The legacy of Alex and Faye Spanos' generosity continues to live on.
The Chargers on Wednesday announced a $2.5 million gift from the Chargers Impact Fund in a partnership with Lulu's Place and the TGR Foundation.
The monetary gift will benefit Lulu's Place — a state-of-the-art center for youth focused on academic, athletic and wellness programs for underserved youth in Los Angeles — and also aid construction of the Alex and Faye Spanos Legacy Field.
"Children are our future, and its incumbent upon us to provide them with as many avenues to succeed as humanly possible," said Chargers Owner and Chairman of the Board of the Chargers Impact Fund Dean Spanos. "My parents instilled that fundamental belief in their children and grandchildren, not merely through words but also through action.
"Alex and Faye Spanos were prolific philanthropists who believed in giving back to the community that supported them," Spanos added. "Today we celebrate their legacy of giving, we celebrate the community that supports us and we celebrate the youth who will help lead our generation, and the generations to come, boldly into that future."
The $2.5 million contribution is the Chargers Impact Fund's largest single investment to date.
Lulu's Place, a 34-acre academic and athletic campus funded entirely through private donations, is slated to open in May of 2027 in Westchester near LAX.
The transformational project features a partnership with the Chargers and the TGR Foundation that will impact youth in multiple avenues, including in the classroom with comprehensive science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) educational programming.
Lulu's Place will also unveil a new sports-themed career readiness curriculum, exposing students to diverse career pathways within the sports industry.
"This partnership shows what's possible when you combine the power of education and sports. When kids are exposed to careers aligned with their passions they are inspired to dream big. Then providing opportunities to learn alongside leaders in their community empowers them to reach those dreams. What we're creating with the Chargers and our partners at Lulu's Place will be truly special for young people across LA and beyond." said Tiger Woods, founder of TGR Foundation.
The Impact Fund's multi-million dollar gift will also lead to the creation of the Alex and Faye Spanos Legacy Field, which will support Chargers youth football initiatives – including the Snoop & Housh Flag Football League, Snoop Youth Football League and Girls Flag Football.
Adriana Cox, the Special Advisor for the Chargers Impact Fund, said she is filled with immense pride at her grandparents' lasting impact.
"The vision for the Alex and Faye Legacy Field is really about community," Cox said. "It's an opportunity for families and youth to come together and it's a place that hopefully fills them with joy, kindness and a sense of belonging."
Heather Birdsall, the Chargers Vice President of Community Relations, added: "Youth sports is the cornerstone of how we give back in the community. It's incredibly important for us to be a part of this. We see it all the time on Sundays, but this is a chance to have something in the community that's going to bring neighbors together."
The historic collaboration was unveiled Wednesday at a special Careers in Sports Media event for local youth during The Genesis Invitational, hosted by TGR Foundation at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades.
Lulu's Place is rooted in the passion and generosity of Carol "Lulu" Kimmelman, a Southern California native, former public elementary school teacher and lifelong tennis player who passed away in 2017 after a courageous battle with ovarian cancer.
"We are deeply grateful for the Chargers Impact Fund's transformative investment in Lulu's Place, our partnership with TGR Foundation, and their shared commitment to changing lives through athletics and education," said Doug Kimmelman, Carol's husband and the founder of Lulu's Place. "The Alex & Faye Spanos Legacy Field will become a beacon of opportunity for young people in our underserved communities.
"This project was created in memory of my late wife, Carol, a proud LAUSD educator and lifelong tennis player, who dreamed of creating a place where youth could develop not just as athletes, but as students, leaders, and engaged citizens. This partnership brings us closer to realizing that vision every single day," Kimmelman added.
Carol Kimmelman was an accomplished tennis player and won the 1983 NCAA women's team title with USC. She later became a schoolteacher at Raymond Avenue Elementary School in South Central Los Angeles.
Carol Kimmelman passed away in January 2017 after a courageous battle with ovarian cancer at the age of 53.
Her family decided to spearhead the Lulu's Place project soon after her passing.
"She was such a strong woman, a strong personality, such a force of good with everyone around her that it was important to us to honor that legacy and to hit on the things that were important to her in her life," Doug Kimmelman said.
He later added: "It had to be LA. She's from here, loved everything about LA, loved the kids of LA."
In just over 12 months, Lulu's Place will begin to impact thousands of kids each year.
Just as Alex and Faye Spanos envisioned.
"I call it the gold standard — the Spanos family — their values so aligned with our values of what they are trying to like impact youth and so it was a perfect alignment," Doug Kimmelman said.
"To take a large chunk of our campus and have flag football and have the Chargers associated with it and get kids active and healthy and moving and giving back, we just clicked almost immediately," Kimmelman added.
Cox added: "We couldn't be prouder and we're so happy to be able to show up for our community in kind of a symbolic way with this field."
