Kendrick Fincher Memorial Foundation

KENDRICK'S STORY

In March of 1995, Kendrick's family moved to Rogers, Arkansas, where he quickly found something special in the people and surroundings and fell in love with NWA. His favorite sport was baseball and he started playing at just 6 years old. After that, he continued on to try soccer and basketball. Kendrick had been saying he wanted to play football when he got into eighth grade. So, in keeping with their tradition of letting him try different sports, he signed up for the Elmwood Raiders football team in Rogers. He went to football camp during the summer andwas looking forward to being on the team.

Football practice started on August 7, 1995, and it was on that day that Kendrick experienced heat stroke. After 18 days in intensive care at Children’s Hospital in Little Rock, Kendrick died from complications of heat stroke.

The Kendrick Fincher Memorial Foundation was developed to ensure children have proper hydration during athletic activities and that they have squeeze bottles with them at all events.

WHAT WE DO

With the majority of our bodies being made of water, dehydration causes serious health concerns, including poor performance, illness, and even worse. Kendrick Fincher Hydration for Life educates on proper hydration and heat illness awareness. Every year our programs educates thousands of people in the Northwest Arkansas Community and across the globe, saving lives.

#HydrateNWA

In 2023, we've set a huge goal for ourselves here at KFHfL! We want to provide hydration education, and a squeeze bottle, to EVERY 2nd grader in NWA by the end of the year!! That's right, EVERY 2ND GRADER! Students in 2nd grade are at a wonderful age. They enjoy learning and sharing what they know. The squeeze bottles include in the BeeHydrated!  program includes information for them to share with their families and friends, helping spread hydration education after they leave school. 

- Donate today and help us #hydratenwa -  

HOW WE EDUCATE AND SUPPORT

• Be Smart. BeeHydrated! - Presentations to school aged children on the importance of proper hydration
• Beat the Heat - Presentations to athletes, coaches and parents on proper hydration and heat illness prevention
• Distribution of squeeze bottles and educational pamphlets to support our educational presentations
• Representation at health fairs to educate the public about our mission and activities
• Community involvement in support of our mission by providing “cool huts”—misting tents with free ice water—at various outdoor public events.
• Annual free youth run in Rogers, AR, to reinforce our mission and help children and the community learn about the importance of proper hydration and physical fitness in a fun environment.
• Partnerships with other sports injury prevention and wellness organizations
• Web presence that allows for regional and national reach
•  Education programs for all ages including senior adults and industrial workforce