Region : Fund-Raising Troubles

A group that depends on the kindness of strangers to send youths to its national “Olympics of the Mind” is learning firsthand the lingering effects of the recession.

The Beverly Hills/Hollywood NAACP has been trying since January to raise money to send 21 finalists from Los Angeles County to compete for college scholarships in the national competition. The competition will be held July 9-14 during the 82nd annual NAACP Convention in Nashville.

So far the group has been able to raise only $700 of the $27,000 needed to send local finalists to the Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics, said James Jones, spokesman for the group.

The “Olympics of the Mind” offers high school students the opportunity to compete in 24 categories, including biology, math, physics, filmmaking and music, Jones said. More than 200 applicants from 120 public, private and church schools competed in qualifying rounds early this year, he said. The competition was established by the NAACP in 1977 to showcase African-American talent. Los Angeles County contestants have consistently won honors in architecture, biology, dance, filmmaking, drama and poetry. But raising money to send this year’s finalists has been difficult, he said.

“The recession may be one of the reasons,” Jones said. “But we hope people will be concerned. We’re saying, ‘Don’t leave us out.’ We know there are people out there who care.”