BOSTON, MA – (December 10, 2020) –The Bill Belichick Foundation today announced the nonprofit has made immense strides towards supporting student athletes and athletic programs in need by distributing $440,000 in scholarships and grants to individuals and organizations across the country. In addition, The Bill Belichick Foundation has launched a virtual toy drive to benefit Toys for Tots Boston and is accepting bids through the NFL’s My Cause My Cleats auction on Coach Belichick’s game-worn sneakers to benefit the Foundation’s scholarship and grant programs.
As the COVID-19 pandemic has affected sports at all levels, with season cancellations and reduction of resources, the Bill Belichick Foundation’s financial support will help rebuild and grow sports programs across the United States. Scholarship and grant funds will provide athletic experiences and opportunities to underprivileged youth.
The Bill Belichick Foundation established in 2013, in memory of the late Steve Belichick, provides coaching, mentorship and financial support to individuals, communities and organizations. Focusing on football and lacrosse, its mission is to bring the values of the Belichick family – a love of sports, coaching and team building – to the athletic leaders of tomorrow. The Foundation is proud to announce the 28 recipients of its sixth annual scholarship class, a $5,000 stipend awarded to students who have excelled academically while participating in athletics.
Bill Belichick Foundation 2020 scholarship winners include:
Anna Grace Allen
Isabelle Angelini
Anna Bower
Lauren Calvin
Alexander Cianci
Jonathan Coleman
Matthew Creed
Colin Finnigan
Darian Duarte
Teegan Gilreath
Daniel Gisonno
Zoe Hemingway
Dominic Hryzan
Rosanna Hyde
Jessie Imbriglio
Serigne-Abdoulahad Kebe
Logan Kinsman
Duncan France Wallace
Logan Lawrence
Katelyn Richardson
Dylan Roussel
Meghan Spaulding
Erin Sundstrom
Zachary Thannum
Logan Tomlinson
Kaleigh Visbaras
Friend Weiler, III
Kareem Wilkins-Airhiavbere
To qualify, students must be a senior in high school, freshman, sophomore or junior in college, hold a GPA of 3.0 or better, participate in at least one sport, submit a completed application for review along with a letter of recommendation and appropriate official school documents.
The Bill Belichick Foundation grant is a $10,000 gift that recognizes deserving athletic communities and organizations in need of financial support. Both types of aid are geared towards creating, guiding and fostering the athletic leaders of tomorrow, who will embrace the Foundation’s values and pay that knowledge forward to the next generation. This year the BBF is awarding 30 programs across the country.
The Bill Belichick Foundation 2020 grant recipients include:
• Around the Worlds – Ellington, CT
• Boston Youth Wrestling – Roxbury, MA
• Boys and Girls Club of Metro South – Taunton, MA
• Cedar Grove HS Football – Decatur, GA
• Challenge Miracle Field of Greater Rochester – Webster, NY
• Changing Youth Basketball – Montgomery, NY
• Columbia Middle School Football Team – Decatur, GA
• Community Boating Center, Inc. – Providence, RI
• Cristo Rey Jesuit College Prep School – Houston, TX
• Darien YMCA – Darien, CT
• Field of Dreams Academy, Inc. – Atlanta, GA
• Frank Callen Boys & Girls Club – Savannah, GA
• Indigenous Values Initiative, Inc. – DeWitt, NY
• Jack Sandler Leadership Foundation – Malta, NY
• Lee County HS Football – Sanford, NC
• Milwaukee Riverside University HS – Milwaukee, WI
• My Why – Cincinnati, OH
• Nantucket Ice Company – Nantucket, MA
• New Kent Youth Association Football and Cheer – Quinton, VA
• Northeast Bandits Youth Football and Cheer – Saint Petersburg, FL
• Northern Elite Predators – Niagara, WI
• Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School – Rabun Gap, GA
• RedHawks Football Association – Contoocook, NH
• Sandhills Lacrosse Association – Whispering Pines, NC
• Seattle Wheelchair Rugby Association – Port Orchard, WA
• Sloane Stephens Association – Sherman Oaks, CA
• Stoughton HS – Stoughton, MA
• Walpole Youth Girls Lacrosse – Walpole, MA
• Wheelchair Lacrosse USA – San Diego, CA
• Winners Lacrosse – Washington, D.C.
“It’s inspiring to hear from coaches and organizations who have aligned their goals with ours and I’m proud that the Foundation can support 30 athletic programs who will use the funds to build stronger teams,” said Bill Belichick. “We select programs who have taken the initiative to fundraise, illustrate plans for growth and show that they are benefiting their respective communities. We’ve distributed over $2M in grants and scholarships since the BBF’s inception in 2013, and are humbled to have this opportunity to expand our recipient roster during a difficult year for athletes who love to play sports,” he added.
The Bill Belichick Foundation 2021 scholarship and grant applications will be available online in January at billbelichickfoundation.org. Applications will be open for qualified student athletes; seniors in high school, freshman, sophomores and juniors in college, and athletic programs in the United States until June 1, 2021.
In addition, the BBF will launch online applications for its annual STX lacrosse equipment grant on January 1, 2021. The BBF and STX together will supply $20,000 worth of new, safe gear to boys’ and girls’ youth and high school lacrosse teams for the start of spring lacrosse. Applications will close on February 1, 2021.
“We’re proud to partner with a like-minded organization such as the Bill Belichick Foundation so we can together help grow the sport of lacrosse by getting more kids on the field,” said Joanna Lignelli, Key Account Director for STX. “With teams having to cancel their season this year, now in our fifth year of this partnership, it’s important to get as many players as we can participating in sports. We want to help eliminate the need for teams to share outdated, unsafe gear or to turn away players who can’t participate because they don’t own equipment,” Lignelli added.
The Bill Belichick Foundation Gives Back this Holiday Season
This holiday season, the Bill Belichick Foundation has partnered with Donate a Toy to host a virtual toy drive to benefit Boston Marine Toys for Tots. Supporters can gift a child in need with a holiday toy by shopping online at www.billbelichickfoundation.org or directly here. The Bill Belichick Foundation and Donate a Toy will match every gift with a toy. By purchasing one toy, three children will receive toys this holiday season. The BBF’s toy drive will close on December 20th.
My Cause My Cleats
The NFL has launched its fifth annual My Cause My Cleats campaign that raises awareness for players’ and coaches’ nonprofits of choice. Coach Belichick will be participating wearing BBF inspired custom designed sneakers coaching the Patriots vs. Chargers game on December 6, 2020, and the Patriots Thursday Night Football game on December 10, 2020. Belichick’s game-worn sneakers are being auctioned off by NFL Auction to benefit the Bill Belichick Foundation. Bidding is open until January 10, 2021 here.
For more information on The Bill Belichick Foundation or to inquire about possible sponsorship opportunities, visit www.billbelichickfoundation.org.
About the Bill Belichick Foundation
The Bill Belichick Foundation was established in 2013 to provide coaching, mentorship and financial support to individuals, communities and organizations. Focusing on football and lacrosse, its mission is to bring the values of the Belichick family – a love of sports, coaching and team building – to the athletic leaders of tomorrow. Bill Belichick, in his 46th season as an NFL coach, has set a new standard for success in the NFL and is the only head coach in league history to capture six Super Bowl titles. The Bill Belichick Foundation has distributed over two million dollars since its inception to student athletes and athletic programs in need through its scholarship and grant programs. For more information on the Bill Belichick Foundation, please visit www.billbelichickfoundation.org.
About STX:
STX is a global sporting goods leader in the sports of lacrosse, field hockey and ice hockey. With its 1970 introduction of the first synthetic lacrosse head, STX ushered in the “modern era” of what is now the fastest growing team sport. Based in Baltimore, the home of lacrosse, STX has been universally recognized for innovation in product design and development. STX continues to strive for new performance standards in sporting goods equipment at the highest levels of competition. For more information, visit www.stx.com
