Buffalo, N.Y. – Project Play Western New York (WNY), which works toward creating a community in which all children have the opportunity to be active through sport, announced that 17 organizations have received a 2024 Summer Free Play Series grant award to support summer programming. The goal for the Free Play Series is to provide youth in all eight counties of Western New York with opportunities to play, have fun and enjoy free play. The total amount granted for this process is $80,000. Project Play WNY is driven and funded by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation’s Youth Sports & Recreation focus area in partnership with the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo.
The 2024 recipients are:
- #IntegrityFirst, Inc. – $7,470
- Boys & Girls Club of Jamestown- $2,000
- Boys & Girls Club Northern Chautauqua County – $4,052
- Buffalo Fine Arts Academy – $5,000
- Clarence Soccer Club – $2,500
- Erie Regional Housing Development Corporation – The Belle Center – $2,500
- Explore & More Children’s Museum – $3,000
- Friends of Youngstown – $7,469
- Full Circle Family Services – $5,000
- HEAL International- $6,000
- Lackawanna PBA – $5,000
- Lockport Ice Arena and Sports Center – $2,011
- Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church – $7,000
- Resource Council of WNY Inc. – $5,000
- Rural Outreach Center – $5,000
- YMCA Buffalo-Niagara – $5,650
- YMCA of the Twin Tiers – $5,348
Reintroducing free play is one of eight strategies, or “plays”, of Project Play WNY, and aims to increase sport participation with urban, suburban and rural youth in Western New York. This strategy is a result of a comprehensive study about youth sports in the eight counties of Western New York, the State of Play: Western New York, commissioned by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation in partnership with the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo and Aspen Institute’s Sports & Society Program.
“Project Play Western New York is excited to once again provide Summer Free Play Series grants to support programming across our region. This will help ensure that all youth across Western New York have opportunities to play, stay active and have fun during the summer months, while getting the 60 minutes of recommended physical activity each day,” said Aaron Hord, Director, Project Play WNY.
For more information on the Summer Free Play Series Grant Process, visit https://www.cfgb.org/nonprofits/grants/project-play-wny-summer-free-play-series-grant/
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About Project Play WNY
Project Play WNY is driven and funded by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation’s Youth Sports & Recreation focus area in partnership with the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. It is a collective impact model that includes more than 100 individuals who are focused on ensuring all WNY kids have the opportunity to be active through sport. For more information, visit projectplaywny.org.
About the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo
For more than a century, the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo has enhanced and encouraged long-term philanthropy in the Western New York community. A 501 (c)(3) organization, the Community Foundation’s mission is: Connecting people, ideas and resources to improve lives in Western New York. Established in 1919, the Community Foundation has made the most of the generosity of individuals, families, foundations and organizations who entrust charitable assets to the Community Foundation’s care. Learn more at cfgb.org.
About the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation
The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation is a grantmaking organization dedicated primarily to sustained investment in the quality of life of the people of Southeast Michigan and Western New York. The two areas reflect the devotion of Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. to his hometown of Detroit and greater Buffalo, home of his beloved Buffalo Bills NFL team. Prior to his passing in 2014, Mr. Wilson provided that a significant share of his estate be used to continue a life-long generosity of spirit by funding the Foundation that bears his name. Based in Detroit, the Foundation began with a grantmaking capacity of $1.2 billion over a 20-year period, which expires January 8, 2035. This structure is consistent with Mr. Wilson’s desire for the Foundation’s impact to be immediate, substantial, measurable, and overseen by those who knew him best. For more information visit www.rcwjrf.org.