Community sports groups in Kent and surrounding cities have received more than $441,000 in grants since the Seattle Thunderbirds junior hockey team moved seven years ago to the ShoWare Center in Kent from Seattle.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The Thunderbird Community Sports Foundation, supported by fans who buy 50\/50 and jersey raffle tickets at home games, has awarded $441,668 since 2009, according to numbers compiled by the foundation, a nonprofit group overseen by a board of local residents and T-Birds officials. A fan who buys a 50\/50 raffle ticket wins half of the pot that game night and the rest goes to the foundation.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The goals of the foundation are to encourage opportunity and advancement in sports development; foster growth of youth sports participation in the community; and promote community involvement among youth.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
A total of $103,053 has been awarded to youth hockey groups in Kent, Tacoma, SnoKing and Seattle; $69,992 to school districts for sports equipment and programs in Kent, Tahoma, Auburn, Orting, West Seattle and Bonney Lake; $51,200 to school districts to help students pay athletic participation fees in Kent, Auburn, Federal Way and Tahoma.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Other donations include $38,045 to service clubs and other foundations; $33,173 to adaptive sports programs (athletes with disabilities) in Kent, Auburn and Seattle; $30,450 to parks and recreation programs in the cities of Kent, Covington, Auburn, Renton and Burien; $25,557 to gymnastics, golf, riding, cheer, aquatics, skating, rowing and soccer programs in Kent, Enumclaw and Tacoma; $20,556 to baseball programs in Kent, Auburn, Seattle, Maple Valley, SeaTac, Des Moines, Federal Way and Issaquah.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Other funds have gone to track and running clubs in Kent, Tahoma, Renton and Auburn; academic scholarships for students pursuing studies in a sports related field; football programs in Kent and Seattle; basketball programs in Seattle and Shoreline; boxing in Kent; and the American Cancer Society (through the Thunderbird Kent Relay for Life fundraiser.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n