A foundation created to empower youth while honoring the legacy of Larry Thomas and has officially launched in the Valley.
Created by Larry’s parents, Joe and Charley Taylor, and ran by his siblings, the Larry Thomas Youth Development Corporation aims to empower Phoenix-area youth to excel beyond self-limitations. The organization will provide educational support for kids in need to make sure they don’t fall through the cracks and can achieve success later on in life.
“We just want to keep his vision going of no kid left behind,” said Jojo Taylor, Thomas’ brother. “We are educational based. We want to help kids stay informed and do what we can to help them take the next step whether that be college or vocational school, whatever it may be for them to be successful.”
The goal of the organization falls in line with the Thomas’ belief of giving every child an opportunity to succeed, regardless of their background or any struggles they may go through at home. That was his mission when he established the Arizona Saints youth football organization in south Phoenix, a program that has long been successful.
This was also the mindset he brought with him to coach both high school track and field and football. Thomas spent two years at Desert Edge High School as the head coach of the track and field program and one as the head freshman football coach under former coach Rich Wellbrock. He then went on to coach the track and field team at Copper Canyon High School before being hired at Mountain Pointe in 2019.
He was gearing up to be the head freshman football coach for the Pride last season before he started experiencing headaches in late April and into early May. A trip to the emergency room on the night of May 2 resulted in emergency surgery to remove 80 percent of a tumor doctors found in his brain.
However, the tumor returned.
Thomas passed away on Wednesday, June 12, 2019. He was 45 years old.
“He was selfless,” Jojo said. “He could make any kid feel special. He made them all feel important and loved.”
Jojo and other members of the freshman football staff at Mountain Pointe stayed on to coach in order to honor Larry and his legacy. The group has since moved on from Mountain Pointe after Rich Wellbrock, a longtime family friend, resigned after the 2019 season.
That led to Jojo, his wife, Ashley, and the rest of his siblings to help his parents create the organization in Thomas’ name.
“While (Thomas) was sick and in the hospital, his mom realized how much of an impact he had on the youth,” Ashley said. “There were kids from Desert Edge and Copper Canyon and Mountain Pointe coming to the hospital and making him signs and cards. We had a huge line of kids that wanted to speak at his funeral service.
“Once she realized the impact he had, she wanted to do something to honor him.”
The organization has several goals to fundraise over the next year and plans to partner with schools and communities Thomas was already well-known.
The Saints & Scholars Back Pack Drive is scheduled to take place ahead of the new school year. In partnership with the Arizona Saints, the Larry Thomas Youth Development Corporation will provide backpacks, pens, pencils and other basic school necessities to youth who may not always be set up for success when entering a new school year.
The group will also partner with South Pointe High School’s “The Ripple Effect Project,” which provides mentors for high school students to help them carve a path to success after high school. Other projects aimed at helping youth, as well as athletic events, are also being planned.
“Once a month, educators or really any man that wants to give back to the community will come in and meet with the kids at lunch,” Ashley said. “We thought it was the perfect starting point to put under the Larry Thomas Youth Development. We want to eventually branch it out to other schools.”
Thomas made a great impact on the lives of every student-athlete and youth player he came into contact with. That was made especially apparent when news of his unfortunate death quickly spread throughout the Valley.
Jojo said there isn’t a day that goes by where he doesn’t think about Thomas and the legacy for wanting to empower the youth he left behind. Now, he sees it as his mission to help carry on in his brother’s pursuit to make a positive impact on the lives of those in need.
“For me, it’s an honor to be able to carry on his legacy,” Jojo said while fighting back tears. “This project has helped us go from being sad to giving us some light and start focusing on the good things he did.”
For more information on the Larry Thomas Youth Development Corporation, visit ltyd.org.
