ABOUT US
Polk County Rise Inc was established in 2019 and recognized in 2020 as a 501c3 nonprofit organization to serve the Central Florida community and beyond with health and wellness programs, education and social services.
The organization was created with the vision of giving Polk County residents a safe, healthy and affordable outlet through sports activities. The Polk County RISE was started as a semi-pro football team, open to adult males 18 and over. Since 2019, working together, the RISE players and volunteer staff have accomplished the following:
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Participated in Polk County Christmas parades and Youth 5k races,
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Volunteered more than 3,500 hours towards training, game-day preparation, fundraisers and community events,
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Supported our players/staff in starting new businesses,
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Helped 3 of our athletes to get paid opportunities playing arena football for the Wenatchee Valley Seahawks in Washington and the Tampa Tornadoes
Now, we are expanding our vision: to become a one-stop resource for health and wellness for our community and beyond. We plan to offer mental health services, referrals for employment, housing, food, and education, as well as more support for entrepreneurs. Our mission is to make our services accessible to all who need them.
TESTIMONIALS
Hear from RISE Program Participants in their own words...
...Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your journey!
MEET THE BOARD
Arnel Scott
President
Arnel is a Certified Fitness Trainer with over 10 years of experience in training, facilities management, sports coaching and ownership, brings his passion for health and wellness to manage operations and outreach efforts.
Rosanna Feliz
Vice President
Rosanna has a background in computer systems, nonprofit consulting, and social services. She uses her skills and passion to help manage our operations and program development.
Maeleesa Carr
Secretary/
Special Teams Coach
Maelessa is an educator with an extensive background in HS and collegiate level athletics, and brings her skills and experience to help our sports programs and internal operations run smoothly.
Toja Burton, M.S.W
Director, Social Services
A social worker with over 20 years of experience providing mental health and social services in many communities, Toja directs our health and social services programs so we can do the most good.
Sharon Fletcher Jones
Director, Fundraising & Communications
An extensive background in journalism, capacity building, and community relations, Sharon directs our communications and fundraising initiatives to broaden our outreach.