716 Squash received a three-year, $375,000 grant from the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation on a challenge-matching basis to support its intensive year-round academic and athletic youth-development program.
The focus of 716 Squash is on the whole child – his and her education, character, health and wellness. 716 Squash is partnering with The Squash + Education Alliance (SEA), the umbrella organization that oversees 19 squash and education programs in the United States. The first urban squash program began in 1996 in Boston, MA. Of students who stay with SEA programs, 96 percent matriculate to college, compared with 24 percent of low-income students nationally.
“The mission of 716 Squash is to empower youth in Buffalo with limited resources to reach their full potential as students, athletes, and engaged citizens, by providing long-term support and life-changing opportunities through education, mentoring, service, and squash,” said the program’s Executive Director Hope Blinkoff Lynch.
A Buffalo native, Lynch returned home late last year after seven years of experience working for Baltimore’s SEA program, SquashWise. At SquashWise, Lynch’s roles included AmeriCorps Squash Coordinator, Director of High School and College Access Programming, and most recently, deputy director.
“716 Squash is not only introducing a new sport option for Buffalo students to play and be active year-round, but also complementing that activity with academic and enrichment programs that will help empower students and support their long-term development,” said Jim Boyle, vice president of programs and communications, Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation.
This spring, 716 Squash recruited 28 fourth and fifth graders from its main partner schools, West Hertel Academy and West Buffalo Charter School, and provided after-school tutoring at no cost to families. This summer, 716 Squash participants will attend a free, five-week-long summer enrichment camp at the Nardin Athletic Facility. Team members earn additional opportunities to travel and compete based on their attendance, effort, and achievement.
716 Squash formalized a facility partnership with Nardin Academy for year-round access to its courts and classroom space off Hertel Avenue in Buffalo. Area high schoolers from Buffalo Seminary, Nardin Academy, Nichols School, and Canisius High School are volunteering as tutors and coaches.
About the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation:
The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation is a grantmaking organization dedicated primarily to sustained investment in the quality of life of the people of Southeast Michigan and Western New York. The two areas reflect Ralph C. Wilson, Jr.’s devotion to his hometown of Detroit and greater Buffalo, home of his Buffalo Bills franchise. Prior to his passing in 2014, Mr. Wilson requested that a significant share of his estate be used to continue a life-long generosity of spirit by funding the Foundation that bears his name. The Foundation has a grantmaking capacity of $1.2 billion over a 20-year period, which expires January 8, 2035. This structure is consistent with Mr. Wilson’s desire for the Foundation’s impact to be immediate, substantial, measurable and overseen by those who knew him best. For more information visit www.rcwjrf.org.
About Squash:
Squash is a physically and intellectually demanding sport that requires a high level of technical skill and physical fitness. With shots that incorporate multiple angles, speeds and all four of the court’s walls, squash is sometimes referred to as the ‘chess’ of racquet sports. Forbes described it as the world’s ‘healthiest sport’.Squash also places high value on sportsmanship and academic achievement. Most players are college graduates, and the country’s best junior players compete for spots at top colleges.