09 Mar USATF Foundation Announces 28 Youth Club Grant Recipients
PITTSBURGH – USA Track & Field Foundation Chairman Bob Greifeld and CEO Tom Jackovic announced 28 Youth Club Grants will be awarded to track & field clubs across the country totaling $43,320.
The grants offer youth athletes relief from necessary expenses such as equipment, travel costs, meet entry fees, and uniforms. The Foundation encourages any youth running or track and field club in the United States to apply for financial assistance. Grant criteria includes key factors such as income and need. The Foundation strives to have a direct impact on youth athletes with these grants to provide more opportunities for competition and encourage the next generation of Olympians.
“We are pleased to support youth track and field clubs across the country. These grants provide athletes the essential resources to train and compete, fueling their passion for track and field and running,” exclaimed USATF Foundation Youth Committee Chair, Therese Wichmann.
Last year the USATF Foundation teamed up with Fast Feet NYC to create a special opportunity for athletes with disabilities. Fast Feet NYC is a program that supplies inclusive exercise options for children of all abilities. The USATF Foundation funded a $10,000 grant nearly a year ago to allow the program to impact more lives and expand to a new location in Detroit, Michigan. To continue to open doors for young athletes and cultivate this relationship, a new $5,000 grant will be awarded to the program.
As an added bonus for these deserving clubs Running Warehouse is proud to partner with USATF Foundation, offering grant recipients significant discounts on uniforms, warm-ups and general gear purchased from runningwarehouse.com. The online retailer also created an opportunity for customers to donate to USATF Foundation during the check-out process; all proceeds go directly toward supporting this Youth Grant program. Additionally, USATF Foundation grant winners will also have access to Running Warehouse’s QuickStart Shoe donation program. Over a thousand pairs of nearly-new shoes are donated to youth running programs through this program.
Grants totaling $43,320 have been awarded to the following 28 youth clubs:
| Do Right Educational Sports Program | Maricopa | Arizona | $1,500 |
| Phoenix Youth Track Club | Phoenix | Arizona | $1,500 |
| Winnerz Circle | Palm Coast | Florida | $500 |
| D.C. Express Track Club | Decatur | Georgia | $1,500 |
| Dynasty Track Club, Inc. | Marietta | Georgia | $1,500 |
| H.J. Russell West End Academy | Atlanta | Georgia | $1,500 |
| Lightning Spikes Track Club | Lawrenceville | Georgia | $1,500 |
| Young Men’s Christian Association of Athens Georgia | Athens | Georgia | $1,620 |
| North Idaho Blaze Track and Field Club | Coeur d’Alene | Idaho | $1,500 |
| Youth Enrichment Services | Boston | Massachusetts | $1,500 |
| Baltimore City White Knight Track Club | Baltimore | Maryland | $1,500 |
| Ann Arbor Track Club | Ann Arbor | Michigan | $1,500 |
| Embrace Sportz | Detroit | Michigan | $1,500 |
| Girls on the Run West Michigan | Kentwood | Michigan | $1,500 |
| Southern Minnesota Vault Club | Mankato | Minnesota | $1,500 |
| NC Flight Club | Fayetteville | North Carolina | $500 |
| Notah Begay III (NB3) Foundation | Santa Ana Pueblo | New Mexico | $1,500 |
| Atalanta NYC | New York | New York | $1,500 |
| P.S. 184M Track Club | New York | New York | $1,200 |
| Prospect Park Youth Running Club | Brooklyn | New York | $1,500 |
| Run4Fun, Inc. | Brooklyn | New York | $1,500 |
| Bethel-Tate Local Schools | Bethel | Ohio | $1,500 |
| Eastside Steppers Track Club | Edmond | Oklahoma | $1,500 |
| Albina Roadrunners Track Club | Portland | Oregon | $1,500 |
| South Dakota Gold Rush | Marion | South Dakota | $1,500 |
| North Texas Cheetahs Youth Track Club | Cedar Hill | Texas | $1,500 |
| Toledo School District #237 | Toledo | Washington | $1,500 |
| Fast Feet NYC | Detroit | Michigan | $5,000 |