The Ravens Foundation, Inc. recently awarded over $100,000 in grants to 26 nonprofit organizations in the Baltimore area. In its eighth year, the Ravens’ PLAY 60 Grant (formerly Plan in Motion) continued to provide financial support of up to $5,000 for initiating and/or expanding programs or endeavors that promote physical fitness and nutrition education among youth.
The 2014 PLAY 60 Grant helped fund a variety of projects, such as interscholastic athletic programs for students with disabilities, running clubs, boxing training and after school intramurals, all of which work to increase physical activity and health awareness among local youth. Examples of projects that received grants for 2014 include:
The St. Francis Neighborhood Center’s Summer of Service Excursion (SOSE) program, introducing children in Baltimore’s Reservoir Hill neighborhood to 60 minutes per day of physical activity, as well as enabling them to develop healthy-eating habits and keeping the children academically inclined over the summer break; continued support for the Baltimore Rowing Club, which has consistently increased the number of children participating and maintained 95 percent attendance rates; Charm City Youth Lacrosse League, which has brought the game of lacrosse to boys and girls through Baltimore youth recreation centers; and, funds to provide the KEEN Sports Baltimore program free of charge to disabled youth in Baltimore.
The Ravens Foundation, Inc. is committed to improving, encouraging and enabling the healthy development of youth in Baltimore and throughout the state of Maryland. Annually, the Ravens Foundation, Inc. provides more than $500,000 in grant funding to local nonprofits. In addition to the PLAY 60 Grant program, other foundation projects include the Ravens Scholars Program, stadium renovations at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute (2006) and Mergenthaler Vocational Technical High School (2008), the Ravens Youth Football Equipment and Apparel Grant Program, KaBoom! playground builds at Collington Square School (2007), the Good Samaritan Hospital Child Development Center (2009) and German Park (2011), and the recent build partnership with Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake in the Pigtown neighborhood located near M&T Bank Stadium (2014).
2014 Ravens PLAY 60 Grant Recipients:
· 13th Girl Foundation
· Annapolis Recreations and Parks
· Athletes Serving Athletes
· BCPS Allied Sports Program
· Baltimore Curriculum Project Spring Tennis
· Baltimore Fitness Academy (Bmore Fit)
· Baltimore Rowing Club
· Boys and Girls Clubs of Harford County
· Charm City Youth Lacrosse League
· DEA Youth Dance Program
· Foundation for Community Partnerships
· Friends of Patterson Park
· Georgetown East Elementary School
· Girls on the Run
· HASA of Metropolitan Baltimore
· HEAL of Washington County
· Heroes Helping Heroes
· KEEN Greater DC
· Monte Sanders’ Fit Families
· Night of Peace Family Shelter, Inc.
· Off Streets Sports Performance
· Parks and People Foundation
· Safe Alternative Foundation for Education, Inc.
· St. Francis Neighborhood Center
· Team Captain Kids Foundation, Hero Boys Run Club
· UMAR Boxing Youth Development
For more information on the Ravens All Community Team Foundation or the Ravens’ Play 60 Grant project, visit www.baltimoreravens.com/community.
