Late one night, nearly 15 years ago, Liz Moscaret, of Sammamish, had an idea.

She and her husband, Ken, would turn that idea into a reality within the next year, in 2002, when they co-found Athletes for Kids at their kitchen table with two of their friends.

The nonprofit began small but eventually developed into an organization that now works with seven high schools across four cities, including Sammamish, to pair high school athletes with children who have special needs.

“We’re about providing your kids with, not just a buddy to be their friend, but a role model, a mentor,” Ken Moscaret said. “What we hope we’re doing is planting the seeds for a life-long friendship.”

For the Moscaret’s perseverance and dedicated work to bringing role models into many young lives, the nonprofit SAMMI Awards Foundation awarded the couple with the courage award at the EX3 Teen Center Saturday.

The 14th annual SAMMI Awards recognized 11 honorees for their inspirational work in the community. The event showcased Sammamish residents, business owners, students and volunteers.

The Moscaret’s story was an easy choice, SAMMI Awards Executive Director Cynthia Baumert said. The couple has first-hand experience with children who have special needs and the isolating affect it can have on a family. The couple used this experience as a springboard to launch Athletes for Kids, as a way to help other parents and families in similar situations.

“They went so far beyond expectations to create a foundation,” Baumert said.

Their program helps isolated children learn confidence; it also instills acceptance in high school athletes, Ken Moscaret said.

Athletes for Kids has paired at least 600 high school athletes with special needs students in elementary and middle school over the last 13 years.

“If you’re going to bring one friend into their life, you want it to be the one kid their peers will notice,” Moscaret said. “The reflected glory of these athletes reflects on their little buddies.”

The program has had the strong support of Seattle Seahawks Vice President of Community Relations Mike Flood since the beginning. Flood has watched the program grow and stood next to the Moscarets on the Seahawks field when the couple accepted the spirit award for Athletes for Kids, once in 2005 and 2013.

“It brings so much joy to kids,” Flood said.

More than that, the program teaches students maturity and how to be better team members at a young age, he said.

For Issaquah High School lacrosse player Jake Lindahl, mentoring his 8-year-old buddy has taught him patience.

“It’s taught me how to really develop a relationship with someone,” Lindahl said. “I’m helping him, but he’s helping me. I enjoy it as much as he does.”

Lindahl meets with his buddy, Diego Gardner-Garcia, every other weekend. Sometimes they go to the zoo; other times they play soccer in the park.

After a year and a half, Lindahl, 17, considers Gardner-Garcia family.

“He’s a very special kid,” Lindahl said.

Gardner-Garcia, who has down syndrome, was put on the waiting list as soon as his mother, Whitney Gardner, was told about the program several years ago.

The program is very selective and is a serious time commitment. Most mentors spend about an hour once a week with their mentee, hanging out. Mentors are not tutors; they’re friends.

“We can barely keep (Diego) in the car. As soon as he sees Jake, he’s out the car holding hands, off to do their activity,” Gardner said.

Their relationship started off slow, getting to know each other. Once Gardner-Garcia felt comfortable with Lindahl, their friendship blossomed.

“It’s a pretty simple but genuine relationship,” Whitney Gardner said. “Really they just laugh and have fun.”

Ken Moscaret, Athletes for Kids board president, said many of the mentors and mentees keep in contact and their friendships continue into adulthood.

The 2015 Athletes for Kids Mentor Celebration Event, open to any Athletes for Kids supporters, will be at the Pickering Barn in Issaquah from 6-8 p.m. May 17. This event is in honor of graduating mentors. Tickets will be sold at the door or through the foundation’s website.

For more information on Athletes for Kids, visit http://athletesforkids.org.