Foundation Supports Athletic Program for Disadvantaged Youth

$3,000 Grant Awarded to the Sunnyvale Wrestling Club

With the holidays and the New Year rapidly approaching, the Foundation decided to squeeze in another end of year grant in addition to the 6 already awarded. It’s the end of the year, and we wanted to finish 2015 with as much giving as possible!

A $3,000 grant was awarded to the Sunnyvale Wrestling Club, a group that initially began in 1996 as an extracurricular activity at Fremont High School. Over the years, the program grew and evolved into much more than a small athletic team, and received official non-profit status in 2002. Sunnyvale Wrestling Club became open to high school youth throughout the area, and is currently expanding to include elementary school children as well. The program took on an important mission: to use wrestling as a tool to provide students with leadership and direction to help them grow, break bad habits, encourage positive self-image, and have healthy futures.

Run entirely by volunteers, Sunnyvale Wrestling Club believes that their students will benefit by learning successful work ethic, mental toughness and health, and strong character. These three benefits help disadvantaged youth create positive futures for themselves, regardless of income or background. According to teacher and volunteer coach Daniel McCune, in the last 5 years, 6 students received impressive financial college scholarships due to their wrestling skills.

The $3,000 grant will be used specifically to help the club purchase mats for the team to wrestle on. In the long term, the club hopes to continue expanding, fundraise more for coaches and equipment, and encourage school districts to incorporate and officially fund wrestling programs.