The Independence Bowl Foundation is prevalent in the local community throughout the calendar year to promote our mission statement, as well as community and family. We offer our free youth clinic that provides young athletes the opportunity to learn not only football fundamentals, but about perseverance, determination and discipline, all of which are necessary in achieving their potential in both life and sports. We host a crawfish boil and family fish fry to bring families together and to help educate more about our mission. The Independence Bowl's rich history spans across five decades, making it is the longest running sports tradition in Shreveport-Bossier history.
Each year, the Independence Bowl Foundation partners with the College Football Playoff Foundation for the initiative Extra Yard for Teachers, which provides funding to local educators for their specific projects submitted on DonorsChoose.org. The College Football Playoff Foundation matches 100% of all donations funded by the Independence Bowl, so every dollar donated to the Independence Bowl through Give for Good will be doubled for Extra Yard for Teachers!
These projects provide teachers and students in our local community with the supplies they need for a better learning environment and experience. Since 2021, in collaboration with the College Football Playoff Foundation, nearly $85,000 has been donated to education projects and programs through Extra Yard for Teachers. In 2023, the Independence Bowl Foundation was able to donate $17,780 to teachers through DonorsChoose.org in working with the College Football Playoff Foundation. $6,780 was donated to teachers by the Independence Bowl Foundation, and another $11,000 was donated to teachers chosen by the College Football Playoff Foundation through a sub-initiative called Touchdown for Teachers.