Poetry and soccer may seem like an unusual combination, but not for America SCORES Atlanta, a free afterschool program addressing illiteracy and obesity on the southwest side of the city.

Inspired Art, an annual fundraiser for the organization, will be held on Thursday, Nov. 8, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Alston + Bird’s offices at 1180 West Peachtree Street. Twenty-five artists created and donated works of art inspired by poems written by students in the program. Those works of art will be on display and for sale by silent auction during the evening. The event also will include a “paddle raise” to raise additional money for America SCORES Atlanta. Several students from the program will be in attendance to read their poetry.

Last year, Inspired Art raised $12,000 for America SCORES Atlanta. The goal for this year’s event, the second annual, is to surpass that number.

America SCORES Atlanta is an affiliate of the America SCORES national organization. The program, now in its seventh year in Atlanta, operates at Young Middle School and Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy.  This year, the program is serving 125 sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders. Participants in America SCORES Atlanta attend the program two days a week from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. The fundraiser will help the program expand to more schools and students served.

America SCORES Atlanta participants engage in physical activity by playing soccer, and develop reading and writing skills through poetry-writing workshops. The program also offers students a chance to become involved in their communities through service-learning projects.

Georgia currently ranks second in the nation in childhood obesity. America SCORES Atlanta participants exercise three times as much as their peers, and the SCORES soccer program has been shown to decrease obesity among program participants by 11 percent over the course of the school year.

Only 74 percent of Georgia eighth-graders have reading skills at or above a “basic” level, and only 28 percent have reading skills at or above a “proficient” level.  America SCORES Atlanta’s poetry component has been shown to improve students’ reading confidence and writing skills. In addition, America SCORES Atlanta youth have fewer school absences than their peers.

“America SCORES Atlanta provides students with a healthy and educational option for after-school time,” McCrodden said. “And our program is not only fun, but it’s free; we pay for everything from shin guards to buses for field trips to poetry notebooks.”

Summey Orr, Hartman Simons’ managing partner and an America SCORES Atlanta board member, helped organize the fundraiser.

“This event will be an opportunity to show others the impact America SCORES Atlanta is having in some of Atlanta’s economically disadvantaged neighborhoods,” Orr said. “We are looking forward to a great evening of art and community.”

Tickets are $40 each and will be available at the door, from any board member and on the web at http://americascoresatlantaartinspiredevent.eventbrite.com.