Kansas City Port Authority awarded three volunteer organizations for fighting against under aged gambling. The 160,000 dollars grant will be divided between three Missouri organizations.
Port Authority member and chairperson of the Missouri Alliance to Curb Problem Gambling, Joanne Collins, said she is worried about the problem gambling amongst youth. The purpose of awarding grants is to try to deal with this problem through education programs.
The biggest grant worth of 93,938 dollars went to the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis, to accomplish research on youth gambling problem in Missouri. Renee Cunningham-Williams, a visiting associate professor, said the research would include interviews with hundreds of young people between the ages of 14 and 25.
The Wellness Resource Center at the University of Missouri-Columbia received 47,150 dollars grant to develop new guidance to help parents, teachers and young problem gamblers to recognize the problem and deal with it.
The Second Chance Foundation in Jefferson City received 19,525 dollars to support theatrical presentations designed to fourth- through sixth-graders about the risks of gambling. The foundation first show will be presented to Blue Springs elementary school students in May.
