Track Shack Foundation Awards Over $21,000 to Community Organizations Promoting Youth Health & Fitness

Orlando, FL - Track Shack Foundation’s Board of Trustees was honored to review another round of applications from local deserving and inspiring organizations. 

Over $21,000 in funds was awarded in September to 17 area schools and organizations that encourage participation in a wide range of sports and fitness related activities in Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Brevard counties. 

Track Shack Foundation is proud to introduce its most recent grant recipients and their exceptional programs: 

• Apopka Memorial Middle School, Apopka, school running club
• Brookshire Elementary, Winter Park, swimming lessons for K-2nd Grade (in PE)
• Central Florida Gliders Track Club, Inc., Altamonte Springs, purchasing uniforms, funding college scholarship program, helping needy families and athlete expenses for cross country season.
• Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida, Orlando, that supports the provision of 1200 nutritious lunches to pre-school age children at their Early Childhood Development Center.
• Foundation for Foster Children, Orlando, Fostering Success Program that provides opportunities to foster youth who request access to participate in athletic programs such as fitness clubs, community athletic programs offered through the YMCA, Boys & Girls Clubs, little leagues, youth martial arts classes, and other sports related camps and venues.
• Freedom Ride, Orlando, Ridership Program that provides therapeutic intervention for people with disabilities.
• Greater Melbourne Police Athletic League, Melbourne, PAL Boxing program, a youth crime prevention program that uses athletic and life-skills building to divert youth away from gangs, drugs and criminal activity. 
• Jones High School, Orlando, Women's Basketball Program
• MicheLee Puppets, Inc. Orlando, Extreme Health Challenge, a live interactive puppetry performance that motivates students K-5th grade to eat right and stay active.
• Narcoossee Elementary School, St. Cloud, Morning Mile program which encourages and rewards students K-5th grade who run at school.
• Olympia High School, Orlando, for cross country athletes to attend the Great American Cross Country Festival.
• Orlando Rowing Association, Orlando, purchase equipment for 2011-2012 rowing season
• Special Olympics Seminole County, Longwood, purchase equipment for softball season
• St. Cloud Elementary, St. Cloud, school running club
• Star Athletics, Orlando, purchase of athlete uniforms and expenses for cross country season
• Victory Prep Christian Academy, Orlando, Eagles Football program for athlete uniforms and expenses
• Wekiva High School, Apopka, Girls’ Cross Country athlete expenses

The Track Shack Foundation grants have exceeded $2 million since 1994. The foundation helps provide health and fitness opportunities through the funding of youth athletic programs. For more information, click here. 

About Track Shack and Track Shack Events

Track Shack of Orlando opened for business in 1977 as a small retail operation that focused primarily on selling running shoes and apparel. Track Shack Events (Formerly Event Marketing & Management International or EMMI), established in 1990 as Track Shack’s sister company, is a sports marketing company that specializes in marketing, management and production of active participation events. The mission of Track Shack Events (TSE) is that each event produced will benefit the entire community - runners, sponsors, and charities. Award-winning professional staff has earned TSE a reputation as one of America’s top sports marketing companies. Jon and Betsy Hughes, co-owners of Track Shack and Track Shack Events, ensure that both businesses support charitable causes, in particular charities that benefit youth and youth athletics. This tradition continues through the creation of the Track Shack Foundation in 1994. The Foundation was established as a 501 c(3) organization with the purpose of promoting health and fitness with an emphasis on youth programs.