Rashied Davis Charities
This was the original website promoting Rashied Davis Charities. However, at some point this site's domain registration was allowed to expire and the site disappeared from the web. The new owner believes that what Rashied Davis and his wife are doing is very important and decided to keep the same content as well as encourage visitors to learn more about Rashied Davis Charities. To see what Rashied Davis is up to go: http://saturdayplace.org/rashied-davis-charities-2/. Saturday Place is a division of Rashied Davis Charities and what Rashied and his wife, Dianna, view as a launch pad for future affiliated programs and initiatives within the organization.
The content below is from the site's archived pages.
WELCOME
What we do in life changes over time. Currently, Rashied Davis plays professional football. At some point he will move beyond his athletic career. Being an athlete is certainly an expression of who he is, but it is not all that he is.
His identity combines the inspiration that fuels his ideas, the drive that moves him forward and the passion to leave something, in addition to football statistics, behind.
The mission of Rashied Davis Charities is to teach students how to overcome obstacles to success through inspiration, preparation and discipline. A key component for accomplishing this mission is early literacy intervention.
The ability to read, write, speak, compute and solve problems at proficiency levels is necessary for functioning in society.
About Us
OVERCOMING OBSTACLES TO SUCCESS
The mission of the Rashied Davis Charities is to teach students how to overcome obstacles to success through inspiration, preparation and discipline.
INSPIRATION
“It’s important to step outside yourself and your comfort zone.”
Our Goal: A place where children learn to see beyond their existing circumstances
Our Focus: Enrichment Activities
PREPARATION
“Where you come from does not predetermine your level of success.”
Our Goal: A place where children acquire the knowledge and academic skills necessary for success
Our Focus: Literacy
DISCIPLINE
“To be successful, you need determination to stay on task and patience to wait for results.”
Our Goal: A place where children understand their obligation
to self and others
Our Focus: Character Education
What we do in life changes over time. Currently, Rashied Davis plays professional football. At some point he will move beyond his athletic career. Being an athlete is certainly an expression of who he is, but it is not all that he is. His identity combines the inspiration that fuels his ideas, the drive that moves him forward and the passion to leave something, in addition to football statistics, behind.
The mission of Rashied Davis Charities is to teach students how to overcome obstacles to success through inspiration, preparation and discipline. A key component for accomplishing this mission is early literacy intervention. The ability to read, write, speak, compute and solve problems at proficiency levels is necessary for functioning in society.
In America, 20% of adults function at “Level 1” literacy, meaning they can barely fill out a job application, read a medicine bottle or calculate costs. This reality takes a toll on individuals, families and the economy. Links between illiteracy and poverty, crime and poor health are undisputable: Nearly 50% of the unemployed are functionally illiterate; almost 70% of inmates cannot read above a fourth grade level; illiterate adults cannot understand basic health information. Because illiteracy is often passed from parent to child, intercepting the next generation is essential.
From the life lessons learned from his aunt, Bertha Lee, to the values he shares with his wife, Dianna, as they begin raising their daughter, Alanna, Rashied understands the impact education has on the family. For this reason, Rashied Davis Charities will create Saturday Place — a place where children learn to see beyond their existing circumstances, acquire the knowledge and academic skills necessary for success and understand their obligation to self and others.
Saturday Place will provide a tutoring program in the areas of enrichment, literacy and character education for 3rd and 4th grade students, with the goal of fostering the academic skills and personal skills they need to achieve success. Making this happen requires targeting one child at a time, one school-year at a time and one donor at a time.
As we move forward with the development of Rashied Davis Charities, we seek to partner with others, inspired by our mission. Your investment enables us to develop a program with clear goals and strategies to ensure our students are equipped to overcome obstacles to success.
Rashied often says, “Football is what I do, it’s not who I am.” Being an athlete is certainly an expression of who he is, but it is not all that he is. His identity combines the inspiration that fuels his ideas, the drive that moves him forward and the passion to leave something, in addition to football statistics, behind.
Together with Dianna, Rashied is taking the next step down his path with the creation of Rashied Davis Charities. Its mission is to teach students how to overcome obstacles to success through inspiration, preparation and discipline. This will be accomplished through the creation of Saturday Place—a tutoring program in the areas of enrichment, literacy and character education for 3rd and 4th grade students, with the goal of fostering the academic skills and personal skills they need to achieve success.
Circumstances, people, events and inexplicable tugs in one direction or another impacted Rashied’s life and put him on his path to success. Now he wants to help others with their journey.
"Just wanted to share this good deed I'm aware Rashied cooked up..." Petef Moss
Program
Saturday Place
A place where children learn to see beyond their existing circumstances, acquire the knowledge and academic skills necessary for success, and understand their obligation to self and others.
Saturday Place will provide tutoring programs in the areas of enrichment, literacy and character education for 3rd and 4th grade students, with the goal of fostering the academic skills and personal skills they need to achieve success.
Program Components
Inspiration Component: Enrichment Activities
For many students, the bulk of their learning occurs through direct instruction, leaving little opportunity to participate in enriching activities that enhance learning...
Preparation Component: Literacy
Reading Literacy
Students will read skillfully...
Math Literacy
Students will build and review concepts...
Discipline Component: Character Education
Children that are able to control their behavior...
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Snapshot Observation
I was a big fan of Rashied Davis when he played for the Chicago Bears... Don't forget to check out http://saturdayplace.org/.
More Background On Rashied Davis Charities
Rashied Davis Charities began as the heartfelt community outreach effort of former NFL player Rashied Davis and his wife Dianna Davis...
Although the site itself eventually went offline, its content remains an inspiring record...
This article explores the history, philosophy, and impact...
Founding and Ownership
Rashied Davis’s path to philanthropy reflects his own life story...
During his time in professional football...
With that understanding, he and his wife Dianna co-founded Rashied Davis Charities...
Ownership and oversight of the charity rested with the Davises...
Mission and Philosophy
At its core, Rashied Davis Charities was built around a simple but powerful statement...
“To teach students how to overcome obstacles to success through inspiration, preparation, and discipline.”
Each of these three words—inspiration, preparation, and discipline—formed a guiding pillar...
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Inspiration meant showing children that their current environment...
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Preparation focused on tangible academic skills...
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Discipline emphasized responsibility, perseverance...
The organization’s programs wove these principles together...
The Creation of Saturday Place
The flagship initiative of Rashied Davis Charities was Saturday Place...
Purpose
Saturday Place was conceived as more than just a weekend tutoring session...
Structure
The Saturday Place program ran each weekend...
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Literacy workshops focusing on reading comprehension...
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Math sessions that reinforced number sense...
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Character education, teaching children about respect...
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Enrichment activities—art, music, local field trips...
The program emphasized small class sizes...
Philosophy of Early Intervention
Rashied and Dianna Davis were particularly moved by the reality that roughly one in five American adults struggles with functional literacy...
By intervening early, the program aimed to build a foundation...
Results and Community Impact
The program’s results were significant...
Teachers observed that students not only performed better academically...
Beyond test scores, Saturday Place gave children access...
The Role of Character Education
One of the most distinctive aspects of Rashied Davis Charities was its commitment...
The charity’s curriculum drew on the “Six Pillars of Character”...
The program recognized that discipline is not merely about following rules...
This approach distinguished the charity...
Cultural and Social Significance
The broader significance of Rashied Davis Charities lies in how it redefined...
His charity emphasized literacy not as an abstract civic goal...
Moreover, the organization’s focus on underserved communities...
Media Coverage and Recognition
Rashied Davis Charities received coverage in sports and local media outlets...
Davis himself was recognized for his leadership off the field...
While the original RashiedDavisCharities.org website has since gone offline...
Partnerships and Expansion
From its inception, the charity invited collaboration...
Corporate and community partners helped fund Saturday Place...
Over time, Saturday Place grew into a recognized division...
Legacy of Rashied Davis Charities
Although the domain RashiedDavisCharities.org is no longer active...
The charity’s legacy can be measured in several ways:
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Generational impact: Many students who attended Saturday Place...
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Public awareness: The program demonstrated that literacy intervention...
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Personal mentorship: Rashied Davis remains active as a speaker...
In essence, Rashied Davis Charities transformed an athlete’s personal values...
Rashied Davis Charities stands as a testament to what happens when purpose meets opportunity...
Through Saturday Place and related initiatives...
In the story of Rashied Davis Charities, we find not only a philanthropic project...