Arlington, Texas— The Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation today announced the five nonprofit organizations that will split a half-million-dollar donation through the Texas Rangers 50th Anniversary Legacy Grant Program.
The program, which marks the largest individual grants distributed in team history, was created in honor of the Rangers’ 50th anniversary season and the 30th anniversary of the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation.
The five nonprofit organizations that will receive a $100,000 grant through the Texas Rangers 50th Anniversary Legacy Grant Program include: Adaptive Training Foundation (Carrollton, Texas), Arlington Independent School District Education Foundation (Arlington, Texas), Artes de la Rosa (Fort Worth, Texas), C5 Texas (Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex) and Traffick911 (North Texas).
“During this milestone 50th anniversary season and 30th anniversary for the Rangers Foundation, it was important to establish this Legacy Grant Program to ensure the Rangers continue to positively impact the community for many years to come,” said Neil Leibman, Texas Rangers President, Business Operations and Chief Operating Officer, and Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation Chairman. “The five deserving organizations selected to receive these $100,000 grants will do just that by continuing their life-changing work for those they serve in the community, and we look forward to the legacy these organizations establish alongside the Texas Rangers and Rangers Foundation.”
The Legacy Grant recipients were announced today during a press event and check presentation at Globe Life Field. Participants included the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation Board of Directors, Tom Grieve, who is retiring at the end of this season after 55 years with the franchise, and pitcher Taylor Hearn, the Rangers’ 2022 nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award.
Nonprofit organizations throughout the Rangers’ five state viewing territory were eligible to apply for the Rangers 50th Anniversary Legacy Grant. The recipients were narrowed down from hundreds of applicants and selected by the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation Grant Selection Committee after an extensive application and interview process.
The Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation awarded grants to organizations that share a similar mission to improve the lives of those in the community, especially children, military, first responders and their families, through innovative programming and partnerships that focus on education, health and athletics.
The recipients will again be recognized during pre-game ceremonies at Globe Life Field before the Rangers-Guardians game at 6:05 p.m. on Saturday, September 24.
QUOTES FROM TEXAS RANGERS 50TH ANNIVERSARY LEGACY GRANT RECIPIENTS
David Vobora, Founder and CEO, Adaptive Training Foundation
“To receive such an incredibly generous contribution means everything to the Adaptive Training Foundation. This investment in our adaptive athletes is the critical force multiplier for them to redefine their lives. We believe in access and opportunity for all those that we serve and to receive this gift from a legendary organization that is the Texas Rangers, it means the world.”
Kelly Curnutt, Board President, Arlington Independent School District Education Foundation
“The Arlington ISD Education Foundation is proud to partner with the AISD and Texas Rangers Foundation to bring innovative hands-on discovery and play to all of the district’s Pre-K students. There’s no better way to celebrate the legacy of 50 years of the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation than through building stronger, healthier futures for Arlington ISD’s youngest learners.”
William Girón, Executive Director, Artes de la Rosa
“Our organization is humbly blessed and grateful to be selected as recipient of this legacy grant alongside other great organizations. This milestone funding will assist Artes de la Rosa to continue the great work at hand in empowering our youth, families and community through cultural multidisciplinary fine art forms. Partnering with the Texas Rangers and Texas Rangers Foundation aligns with our mission and solidifies their commitment/legacy of improving and changing lives of those in the communities we together serve!”
Rick Covert, Board Chair, C5 Texas
“The C5 Texas program enables our leaders to make an exponential difference in their communities by developing their leadership skills. This funding from the Texas Rangers and the Texas Rangers Foundation enables us to recruit more young leaders into the program and the recognition of C5 Texas by the Texas Rangers will greatly expand the knowledge of this program in the state and bring in more leaders and contributors to C5 Texas.”
Lindsey Speed, Executive Director, Traffick911
“Traffick911 is thrilled to have been chosen as a Texas Rangers Legacy Grant awardee. Child sex trafficking is an issue that is happening right here in our Texas communities. It means the world to have a Texas cornerstone recognize and honor the resilient victims and survivors we have the privilege of serving.”
ABOUT THE TEXAS RANGERS BASEBALL FOUNDATION
Since its inception in 1991, the Foundation has invested more than $50 million in our community and is dedicated to improving the lives of children in need. The Foundation provides funding for children, the military, first responders and their families, through educational, health, and athletic programming and partnerships. Signature programs include the Texas Rangers MLB Youth Academy at Mercy Street Sports Complex, presented by Toyota, the 2018 Allan H. Selig Award for Philanthropic Excellence award-winning Richard Greene Scholars, the Charley Pride Fellowship Program and the newly announced 50th Anniversary Legacy Grant Program. Faced with ever-increasing need in our communities, we are providing more financial support than ever to our neighbors in need through the support of partner organizations and emergency relief organizations.
ABOUT ADAPTIVE TRAINING FOUNDATION
The Adaptive Training Foundation serves wounded and injured Military Veterans, First Responders and disabled community members. Our programs are designed to provide quality, customized training that helps those living with physical disabilities create sustainable lifestyle changes. Through intense physical and mental coaching, ATF provides a path for each adaptive athlete to find confidence, mobility, and above all – HOPE.
ABOUT ARLINGTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT EDUCATION FOUNDATION
The Arlington ISD Education Foundation is a 501 (c)3 nonprofit organization founded in 1994 to serve the public school students of Arlington through fulfilling extraordinary educational needs and initiatives. The Foundation achieves its mission by: funding exceptional teaching grants, providing funds for basic needs for at-risk students, and supporting continuing teacher education efforts. To date, the Arlington ISD Education Foundation has distributed more than $2 million for educational resources in AISD classrooms.
Artes de la Rosa is the only Latino cultural center in Fort Worth and Tarrant County that is dedicated to preserving, promoting, and interpreting the art, culture, lives, and history of the Latino community for all to enjoy. This is achieved by (1) establishing a venue for Latino art and cultural performances; (2) offering educational art/culture programs to the community including youth in low-income neighborhoods; (3) providing opportunities and support for established and emerging artists and performers; and (4) serving as the central support organization and resource center for Latino art and culture in the City of Fort Worth. For more information, please visit us at www.artesdelarosa.org, or follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
Established as a non-profit 501(C)3 in 2008, the mission of the C5 Youth Foundation of Texas is to change the odds for high potential youth, inspiring them to pursue personal success and preparing them for leadership roles in college, work and their communities. C5 Texas does this by engaging middle and high school students from under resourced communities in five years of intensive leadership experiences including year-round leadership development programs, signature summer activities, community action, and preparation for continuing education and career development. Since 2008, 100% of our 5th year students have graduated high school and 97% have been accepted into higher learning. For more information, please visit c5texas.org, or follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
Traffick911 exists with the sole purpose of freeing youth from sex trafficking by building trust-based relationships. This is accomplished by a 24/7 crisis response and the Voice & Choice Program Team walking alongside child sex trafficking victims and with Multi-Disciplinary Team partners. Traffick911 was founded in 2009 by community activists who discovered that child sex trafficking was happening in North Texas. Over its history, the organization’s abolition efforts include training over 82,000 youth and adults face-to-face with prevention and awareness messages, training over 18,000 first responders, and directly serving over 2,000 survivors. www.traffick911.com.
Mission: To free youth from sex trafficking through trust-based relationships.
Vision: Communities free from relational brokenness.
Values: Hope, humility, and humanity
