The Fairfield County Sports Commission has announced its beneficiaries for its annual community support donations. As it has for many past years, the focus for its financial help is in the cities of Bridgeport, Norwalk and Stamford, which each will receive $15,000, according to the Dec. 20 announcement. The reach of the Commission’s support will now be greatly expanded beyond its three primary beneficiaries in those communities to numerous other youth organizations and health programs.
With the Spor
ts Commission and its Chelsea Cohen Fitness Academy being the recipients this year of the two largest corporate grants FCSC has ever received, the ability to return a total of $45,000 to our Fairfield County youth is unprecedented for the organization. This support will provide a greater impact in meeting FCSC’s mission of promoting an active and healthy life style and personal development through sports.
“The areas that we will be supporting help us reach our goals of trying to get new programs launched or existing ones grow, scholarship aid directly to deserving and needy individuals, support for new ideas we have not been able to help with in the past like cooking education and enabling former sport persons of the year we have recognized, who are community role models, to continue their work and passions,” said Tom Chiappetta, FCSC’s executive director.
The Commission will continue its long-time relationships with the Cardinal Shehan Center in Bridgeport, the Carver Center in Norwalk, where the Cohen Academy is housed, and the Stamford Youth Foundation.
In an effort to provide support to the extended family of the Commission, donations were allotted for Mary Roman, a senior athlete who was the 2009 Norwalk Sports Person of the Year, to help her to participate in the World Masters Games in Australia in October as well as to Donald Wilson, the founder of Bridgeport Youth Lacrosse and the 2009 Bridgeport SOY.
The complete list of recipients follows:
BRIDGEPORT
• Cardinal Shehan Center-Fitness For Life program
• McGivney Center-Cooking and healthy food education programs expansion
• Bridgeport Middle Schools-Pilot track and field program
• Bridgeport Field of Dreams Foundation-Summer camp soccer program expansion
• Bridgeport Youth Lacrosse-Donald Wilson
NORWALK
• Carver Center-Girls Youth Development program expansion
• Chelsea Cohen Memorial Scholarship-Norwalk and McMahon High female student/athletes
• Ponus Middle School-KIDS FANS nutrition program
• World Masters Games Athlete-Mary Roman
STAMFORD
• Stamford Hospital KIDS FANS-Four elementary schools
• Children’s Learning Centers of Fairfield County-KIDS FANS Pre-K program
• Stamford Boys & Girls Club Yerwood Center-Night activities program
• Stamford Boys & Girls Club-Healthy Habits program
• Stamford Youth Foundation-Scholarship participation aid