U.S. SOCCER FOUNDATION GRANTS NEARLY $100,000 TO BENEFIT NEW JERSEY YOUTH SOCCER

U.S. SOCCER FOUNDATION GRANTS NEARLY $100,000 TO BENEFIT NEW JERSEY YOUTH SOCCER

Latest Grant Cycle Supports Enhancement of Field Spaces in Paramus & Bayonne

Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Soccer Foundation, the major charitable arm of soccer in the United States, today announced it has awarded two grants totaling nearly $100,000 to organizations in Bergen and Hudson counties in New Jersey to support field projects in their respective communities. The recipients include the Borough of Paramus Recreation Department and the City of Bayonne Division of Recreation.

In its continued effort to grow the game of soccer and utilize it to improve the well-being of children in under-resourced communities, the U.S. Soccer Foundation awards grants to support soccer programming and field-building initiatives nationwide. Non-profit organizations eligible to receive grant funding include those that provide children with the opportunity to play soccer and provide programming that promotes healthy youth development. The Borough of Paramus Recreation Department and Paramus High School together provide soccer programming for children K-12 in the community. The City of Bayonne Division of Recreation and the Division of Parks & Public Works provide services and health club facilities for children, adults and senior citizens. Both will utilize the grants from the U.S. Soccer Foundation to install synthetic turf fields in their communities.

“The City of Bayonne is extremely excited to be awarded the 2014 Spring Cycle Safe Places to Play Grant from the U.S. Soccer Foundation in the amount of $33,460 to be used toward the installation of Synthetic Turf,” said Pete Amadeo, City of Bayonne Supervisor of Recreation. “This grant will allow the children to play a game they love on a safe playing field. It'll be an opportunity to play on a field that many will cherish now, and for the rest of their lives.”

These grants were awarded as part of the U.S. Soccer Foundation’s latest grant cycle which distributed 10 grants totaling more than $450,000 as part of the Safe Places to Play program. The Safe Places to Play program seeks to build or enhance field spaces in underserved areas in order to provide safe places for children to play. To date, the Foundation has helped to create or improve hundreds of safe places for children nationwide, and has awarded more than $60 million to organizations in all 50 states and in the District of Columbia.

“Our goal at the U.S. Soccer Foundation is to help create safe places to play in communities nationwide,” said Ed Foster-Simeon, President and CEO of the U.S. Soccer Foundation. “We are honored for the opportunity to support these New York and New Jersey-based organizations and their efforts to make a positive impact on the lives of the children and families in the Paramus and Bayonne communities.”

Support for the U.S. Soccer Foundation’s grant process is provided by the Foundation’s corporate partners, including, Hellas Construction, Hunter Industries, Musco Sports Lighting, PEVO Sports, Soccer.com and Sport Court.

To learn more about the U.S. Soccer Foundation, please visit www.ussoccerfoundation.org.

 About the U.S. Soccer Foundation

The U.S. Soccer Foundation is a recognized leader in sports-based youth development programs for children in underserved, urban communities. Since its founding in 1994, the organization has provided more than $60 million in funding to create and sustain innovative programs across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Proven to deliver positive health and social outcomes, the Foundation’s affordable initiatives offer safe environments in which both boys and girls thrive. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Soccer Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization. Visit http://www.ussoccerfoundation.org to learn more.

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