MARDY FISH CHILDREN'S FOUNDATION AWARDS $48,000 TO COMMUNITY HEALTH, FITNESS & NUTRITION BASED PROGRAMMING FOR FALL GRANT CYCLE
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Kristen Wilson
231-330-3984
Kristen@mffkids.org
October, 30 2018: The Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation (MFCF) announced the results of its fall grant cycle, awarding $48,000 to local agencies, programs, schools and organizations.
Sixteen youth programs have been funded through Kids on Courts and Kids in Motion grants for this fall 2018 cycle. The Mardy Fish Children's Foundation is proud to support the following organizations and programs as grant recipients;
Youth Guidance: Mentoring Sports Group, Homeless Children’s Foundation: Hope Swim Team, Indian River Golf Foundation: Player Development Program. Pelican Island Elementary: Soar to Be Fit, Treasure Coast Elementary: Gardening Club, Pelican Island Elementary: Gardening Club, Sebastian Elementary School: Sea Turtle Cheer Team Indian River Charter High School: Soccer Club, LOTA SPORTS: After School Tennis, Boys and Girls Club: Fall Junior Tennis League, GYAC: Fall Junior Tennis League, Dasie Bridgewater Hope Center: Fall Junior Tennis League, Vero Beach Tennis Club: Fall Junior Tennis League, Sea Turtle Elementary: Fall Junior Tennis League.
1,030 children will be participating in the sixteen programs funded by MFCF for the fall cycle. While it proves to be a wide variety of programs receiving Kids in Motion and Kids on Courts support, they each have a common thread of health, fitness, and nutrition. Kids on Kids on Courts and Kids in Motion are programs intended to help Schools & Community-Based Organizations to initiate, expand, or enhance their physical education, nutrition, or enrichment programs. These programs are designed with a priority on safety and wellness to help students learn new and exciting activities that encourage lifelong healthy habits.
Each awarded school/agency/organization is required to complete a program evaluation capturing goals, outcomes and students reached. Recipients also are asked to incorporate the Foundation’s “Six Healthy Habits” into their programming.
“Our foundation has gone through tremendous growth and exciting changes over this past year. Because of our new organizational structure and committed Board of Directors, we are now able to support over 2,000 kids a year in after school programs. Double what we could reach in the past. We are so proud to support each of the fall Kids on Courts and Kids in Motion grant recipients. We are also grateful to the donors whose generosity makes these grants possible.”
The Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation offers three grant cycles each year; fall, winter/spring, and summer. The next cycle opens for applications on December 15th, 2018 and closes January 15th, 2019. Our third cycle opens April 15th, closing May 15th. If interested in applying or learning more about our Kids on Courts and Kids in Motion Grant process, please contact Program Director Kristen Wilson: Kristen@mffkids.org
Amongst other progressive changes for MFCF this past year, high school aged programs are now eligible to apply for grant funding. In addition, this growing, 11-year-old organization has added a Youth Advisory Council complied of past and present “Fish kids”.
Mardy Fish is a top-ranked U.S. tennis professional dedicated to supporting the youth in his hometown of Vero Beach, FL. Started in 2007, the non-profit Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation currently supports over 2100 children in 13 elementary schools, six middle schools, one high school and three afterschool centers in Indian River County, FL by supporting after-school exercise, nutritional and enrichment programs in a safe environment to prepare them for healthy, productive and successful lives. The Foundation introduced the “Six Healthy Habits” in 2012 which are Get Sleep; Drink Water; Exercise Daily, Eat Healthy; Brush and Floss; Make Friends.”
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