Up2Us Sports, a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to inspiring youth through coaching and sports, welcomed celebrities and pro athletes to its annual gala at Guastavino’s in New York City on Wednesday.

Through Up2Us Sports’ national coaching program, 300 AmeriCorps members will be trained to coach and mentor low-­income youth to make better decisions, stay healthy, and reach their potential, through the power of sports. The $2.6 million in grants from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) will support AmeriCorps members nationally with added support from CaliforniaVolunteers, Serve Illinois, Volunteer Louisiana, PennServe and Serve Washington.

Up2Us Sports announced this week that Collette V. Smith, the NFL’s first African American female coach in history and New York Jets first female coach in their franchise history, has joined the organization as an Ambassador.