Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : Celebrities Help Underprivileged Children at Sports Festival : Charity: The group Athletes & Entertainers for Kids goes to Magic Mountain to give youths tips and encouragement as the 12-day event opens.

A hard grounder slices along the pale green artificial turf, jumping up at the last moment to careen off Steve Garvey’s glove.

He barehands the ball, lobs it underhand to the second baseman and watches as it is thrown past the infielder covering first.

Garvey smiles, shrugs and goes back to showing the boy next to him how to properly hold his glove. This day is not about making plays or keeping score, but about helping children.

The former Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman was one of several athletes honored Monday for their efforts to help youths, kicking off a Sports Illustrated Sports Festival at Six Flags Magic Mountain.

“I think the common denominator is developing programs to help kids,” said Rod Sherman, a former Oakland Raider and Denver Bronco who now serves as a board member for Athletes & Entertainers for Kids.

The charity program that helps underprivileged children received 200 free passes to the sports festival Monday and is to receive more than 2,000 passes for the entire 12-day event.

“This is fun. I wish they had this stuff here all the time,” said 12-year-old Tony Rossi, taking a break from a three-on-three basketball game at the festival. “It was cool. I got to see Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar).”

Activities included pitching cages, slam dunk contests for adults and children, field goal kicking, golf driving tees and putting courses, an obstacle course, foam bows and arrows and a chance for participants to record their own play-by-play over a videotape of historic sports moments.

Celebrities stressed the importance of the goodwill event in the wake of the 1992 Los Angeles riots.

“I think any time in any major metropolitan area where you can build unity and a good feeling about an area, it’s great,” said Bart Conners, standing alongside Nadia Comaneci. The two medal-winning Olympic gymnasts spent Monday afternoon signing autographs at the makeshift golf driving range.

Conners, a Venice Beach resident, said Southern California has gotten a “bum rap” because of the riots. “It’s events like this that are going to bring people together,” he said.

Retired Los Angeles Lakers center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar agreed.

“We work with a lot of kids in and around Southern California, especially Los Angeles. After events we saw last April, I know we all have a special place in our hearts where we hope kids (will succeed),” Abdul-Jabbar said.

The former Laker is credited with helping thousands of children through Kareem’s Kids, a program started through Athletes & Entertainers for Kids.

Other athletes attending included decathlon winner Bruce Jenner, gymnast Kathy Johnson and runner Florence Joyner.

“I think the (charity’s) philosophy is the spirit of our country is the future of our children,” Garvey said.

Los Angeles Kings owner Bruce McNall was named honorary commissioner of the sports festival at a noontime ceremony. The Kings’ hard-earned Campbell Conference Championship trophy was put on display for the day.

Sports figures from the Los Angeles Rams, Clippers, Lakers and Raiders are scheduled to participate in the festival during the remainder of the week.

“In the summertime, there’s nothing better than watching kids be kids,” Sherman said.