Over $100,000 Awarded in Innovative
Student-Engagement Initiative
Westport, Connecticut ─ Yesterday, during the America East
Conference Basketball Championship, Newman's Own Foundation unveiled the top
grant recipients of its third-annual Campus Community Service Challenge.
Engineers Without Borders, in partnership
with University at Maine, received the top grant of $25,000. Earth Day Southern Tier
working with Binghamton University's SUNY VINES (Volunteers Improving Neighborhood Environments)
received $15,000. Two student
group/non-profit partnerships tied for the third-place grant. Both Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital
Region, who partnered with University of Albany's Reclassifying
All Children Equally (R.A.C.E.), and Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports who
partnered with University of Vermont's Adaptive Sports, will
receive a $10,000 grant from Newman's Own Foundation. In total, over $100,000 was awarded to
nonprofits throughout the tournament.
The
Newman's Own Foundation Campus Community Service Challenge was developed to
encourage the practice of philanthropy among younger generations, specifically
on college campuses. One student group,
chosen from each of the America East's nine member universities, nominated and
partnered with a local nonprofit for a Newman's Own Foundation grant.
"A
priority of the Foundation is to encourage the practice of philanthropy among
as broad a population as possible," said Bob Forrester, president of Newman's
Own Foundation. "These student
volunteers represent the next generation of leadership. We are inspired by
their work and proud to support them through the Campus Community Service
Challenge."
Grant
recommendations were based on the student groups' involvement with their chosen
nonprofit, and the impact of the partnership on those served by the nonprofit
as well as on the students themselves.
Newman's Own Foundation provided Honorable
Mention grants of $5,000 each to five grantees, all of whom submitted
impressive proposals. Receiving these
grants were:
o Boston University's Joining Hands, partnering with Newton Area Corporation
for the Benefit of Special Athletes, Inc. to host events for Newton Special
Athletes and to provide cheer and support to athletes in their training and
competitions.
o University of Hartford's Society of Women Engineers, partnering with University
of Hartford, to expand outreach to area high school girls, to foster an
interest in engineering.
- University
of Maryland, Baltimore County's
Relay for Life, partnering with the American Cancer Society, to increase
student participation in the Relay and to educate the UMBC community about
cancer, prevention, and intervention.
- University
of New Hampshire's
Aspiring Hands, partnering with Somersworth Youth Safe Haven, to provide
at-risk youth with homework assistance, healthy living classes, a
community garden, and educational field trips.
- Stony
Brook University's
Alternative Spring Break Outreach, partnering with Community
Collaborations International, to provide funds for a greater number of
students to travel and volunteer with nonprofit organizations around the
country.
"Congratulations to all the winners of
this year's challenge, especially University of Maine's Engineers Without
Borders which took home the top grant. I'm very proud of all the unselfish work
the students at America East institutions put into a wide array of non-profit
endeavors,"
said America East Commissioner Amy Huchthausen. "I'd also like to thank Newman's Own Foundation for their generosity.
Their work to promote volunteerism is simply remarkable."
The
Newman's Own Foundation also presented "charity stripe shootouts" throughout
the tournament. University students,
selected from the crowd, played to win $1,000 for a local charity of
choice. In total, $7,000 was awarded to
nonprofits per the recommendations of these students.
To
learn more about the challenge and the nine student group/non-profit
partnerships, please visit http://newmansownfoundation.org/competition/.