U.S. Soccer Foundation Awards 11 Grants to Organizations that will Expand Access to Safe Places to Play

Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Soccer Foundation today announced it has awarded 11 grants totaling $181,595 to organizations that will build and enhance safe places to play in their communities. When completed, the projects will allow access to safe playing spaces for at least 9,320 youth and adults.

The U.S. Soccer Foundation awards Safe Places to Play grants to support field-building initiatives three times per year. These grants fund project costs for design, construction, irrigation, lighting, surfacing, and other enhancements.

“Too often today, safe places to play are not readily available for kids in their neighborhoods,” said Ed Foster-Simeon, President & CEO of the U.S. Soccer Foundation. “Through our grants process, we are pleased to work with organizations to increase the number of safe places to play and help provide access to soccer to more kids and more communities.”

Summer 2018 Safe Places to Play grant recipients include:

• City of Las Cruces Parks & Recreation Department (Las Cruces, NM)
• City of New Brunswick* (New Brunswick, NJ)
• Give Merit, Inc. (Detroit, MI)
• Golden Gloves Soccer (Turlock, CA)
• Heritage Middle School – Cook County School District 104 (Summit, IL)
• LSU Eunice (Eunice, LA)
• Maria Regina High School (Hartsdale, NY)
• Milwaukee Board of School Directors (H.W. Longfellow School) (Milwaukee, WI)
• The Salvation Army Kroc Center (Camden, NJ)
• Wayne County Economic Development Foundation (Waynesboro, MS)

*Received multiple grants

The grants support the mission of the Foundation’s It’s Everyone’s Game national movement to inspire and empower youth in underserved communities through soccer. Launched in 2017, the Foundation aims to build 1,000 mini-pitches nationwide and engage one million children in the Foundation’s Soccer for Success program annually by 2026. In line with this mission, these grant recipients will make sure that more children have safe and quality places to play the beautiful game.

Support for the U.S. Soccer Foundation’s grant process is provided by the Foundation’s corporate partners, including AstroTurf, Brock, Hunter Industries, and Musco Sports Lighting.

About the U.S. Soccer Foundation 
The U.S. Soccer Foundation’s programs are the national model for sports-based youth development in underserved communities. Since its founding in 1994, the Foundation has established programs proven to help children embrace an active and healthy lifestyle while nurturing their personal growth beyond sports. Its cost-effective, high-impact initiatives offer safe environments where kids and communities thrive. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Soccer Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization. For more information visit www.ussoccerfoundation.org or follow us on Twitter at @ussoccerfndn and Facebook at www.facebook.com/ussoccerfoundation.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Jennifer Arnold
jarnold@ussoccerfoundation.org
202.872.6662