Eight metro Detroit organizations will be receiving $5,000 grants from the Detroit Community Store and the Nike Community Impact Fund (NCIF.)
The six Nike Community stores throughout the country will share a total of $240,000 in grant money to award to organizations in their communities.
Locally, the Detroit Nike committee awarded their $40,000 to eight organizations throughout the city. The committee, made up of employees and store athletes, looked at organizations that give youth early, positive experiences in sports and physical activities which will help strengthen their communities.
Each organization will use the money in specific ways to help the community.
“We wanted to focus on organizations that are striving to make physical activity, play and sport a highly valued part of everyday life for our athletes in the Detroit area,” Tim Carroll, Head Coach of the Detroit Community Store.
Downtown Boxing Gym Youth Program will use boxing as a way to teach Detroit children tenets of athletics including conflict resolution, overall physical and mental health.
Boll Family YMCA of Metro Detroit will teach children to swim and how to be safer around water. Some of these children would not have this opportunity due to finances, pool access or transportation.
Boys & Girls Clubs Of Southeastern Michigan has created a co-ed basketball league for Boys & Girls Club children.
Detroit Police Athletic League will use the funds to help over 12,000 at-risk youth through athletics and leadership, in partnership with the Detroit Police Department.
Clark Park Coalition will use the grant money to pair an adult and area youth to help with literacy, healthy activities and pro-social behavior.
The Greening Of Detroit does more than just planting trees in the city. They also have a program called Move-Grow-Eat which teaches the youth in Detroit about healthy behaviors with fitness classes, how to grow and harvest fresh foods, and how to prepare healthy meals.
Life Builders will use the funds for a neighborhood team in a Flag Football league. The money will be used for coaching, transportation, equipment, and facility upkeep.
Timothy A. Williams Ministries will provide a fitness program called “Local Motion”. They will also have dance classes in an elementary school.
The NCIF was started in 2010, and to date they have awarded $3.75 million dollars to over 375 nonprofits. In 2016 they awarded $800,000.
The other Nike Community Stores are located in Chicago, New Orleans, the Ivy City neighborhood in Washington D.C., the Flatbush neighborhood in Brooklyn and East Los Angeles.