CHICAGO -

Earlier this week, Mercedes-Benz USA and its dealer body pledged to give $1.3 million this year to fund coaches for a charitable organization that aids projects using sports for the betterment of youth.

The company’s gift to the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, USA, will help the organization prepare and set up 250 coaches to work in various sports-based youth development projects serving underserved neighborhoods throughout five cities (Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Miami and New Orleans).

This will be done through Laureus’ delivery partner, Coach Across America. More than 40,000 youth throughout 150 local communities will benefit from these efforts, officials noted.

The first of the five cities to roll out a program was Chicago, which got the ball rolling on Tuesday and had a national kickoff.

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Edwin Moses and Hall of Fame running back Marcus Allen — both of who are Laureus World Sports Academy Members — paid a visit to Beyond the Ball, which uses sports to emphasize personal and social responsibility to youth.

“We believe in the transformational power of sport as a tool for social good. Today’s coaches go beyond the traditional sense of the term ‘coach,’" said Moses, the chairman of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation USA. “They are mentors, community organizers and mediators.

“Investing in proper training and offering support for these coaches is vital to sports-based youth development, especially as youth violence and obesity escalate, and school-based programs continue to be decimated by budget cuts. Initiatives like this are essential in America to fill the gap,” he added.

Mercedes-Benz USA president and chief executive officer Steve Cannon added: “Mercedes-Benz USA and our dealer partners have a long tradition of supporting and giving back to our communities. When you combine that with MBUSA’s extensive involvement in high-profile sports events, this is an undertaking that really makes sense for us and provides a real benefit to youth across the country.”

Sharing more about the Chicago initiative that was launched, its goal is to get roughly 40 coaches working in nine programs, including Beyond the Ball, America SCORES Chicago, MetroSquash, Girls in the Game, Urban Initiatives, After-School All-Stars Chicago, MGR Foundation, Near West Side CDC and a to-be-announced project.

Efforts in the rest of the cities will begin later this year.

Officials noted that in addition to the benefits to the children in underserved communities, the initiative can also help the employment situation for young adults. Among the people Coach Across America plans on recruiting are local college graduates.

James Kallusky, executive director of Coach Across America, stated: “The influence coaches can have on today’s youth is undeniable. Without the generous commitments and support from both Mercedes-Benz USA and Laureus Sport for Good Foundation USA, this wouldn’t be possible.”