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Watch the ESPN award announcement made on SportsCenter last month.

The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation was honored to be named the recipient of ESPN’s inaugural Sports Philanthropist of the Year honor as part of its 2020 Sports Humanitarian Awards. We’re proud to share and celebrate this recognition with our amazing Project Play Western New York and Project Play Southeast Michigan partners, and incredible grantees that are working each and every day to provide equitable access and a better youth sport experience for all children. 

We are excited to announce that as part of this special recognition ESPN Citizenship is directing a $100,000 charitable donation in our honor. We have requested their donation be split equally between our two regions, to support COVID-safe play initiatives being led by our Project Play partners. This includes a mini-grant program in Western New York and the Project Play Kit project in Southeast Michigan providing sports equipment, games and activity ideas for home play. More details will be shared in the coming weeks. 

And be sure to check out this great recap by Tom Farrey, executive director of Aspen’s Sports & Society Program, reflecting on the #DontRetireKid campaign we helped to launch together nearly a year ago with ESPN and our Project Play 2020 partners.

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Through two short documentaries and eight podcast episodes featuring interviews with caregivers and the loved ones they care for from Southeast Michigan and Western New York, Tight Knit, new documentary and podcast series, explores the complexity and joy involved in providing care to a family member.

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Application now open for $1 million to bring creative playspaces to communities in Western New York and Southeast Michigan. The Challenge, now in its third iteration, invites communities to submit creative design ideas that make it easier for families to incorporate play into everyday moments.

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We are heartbroken over the continued pain and loss within our African-American community. We remain committed – as a Foundation, as Trustees, as individual staff, as human beings – to deepen our listening, and address inequalities through our work. 

We hope that peaceful protests and dialogue can heal relationships between our communities, dedicated law enforcement members, and the small businesses that have been impacted throughout our regions.

We continue to see and hear the need to actively work together and renew our commitment to creating a better world, one that clearly recognizes inequities and seeks to eliminate them. While there is a long, challenging road ahead, we remain certain that through our collective and collaborative actions, we can together create the change required to build a better, more equitable and just world.

Over the past four weeks, the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation (RCWJRF) has allocated more than $6 million toward COVID-19 response effort.

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Dear friends and partners,

In accordance with guidance and recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and the State of Michigan to mitigate community spread of COVID-19, the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation has closed its physical office in Detroit effective today.

As the coronavirus situation unfolds we will continue to review potential reopening on an ongoing basis, which would happen, at earliest on April 6^th. In addition, the Foundation is imposing a ban on travel and all in-person meetings through April 20^th, at which point we will reassess.

During this time our staff will remain active and committed to our work and communities, and will be accessible via email, phone and remote meeting technologies. We will also continue to process grant payments through our usual means, and organizations may continue to apply for grants through our Fluxx system. Grantee updates related to report deadlines and other related adjustments can continue to be shared via the Fluxx system for active grants.

We want to assure each of our grantees that we understand your work will undoubtedly be affected during this time, including, but certainly not limited to, the cancelation of events/convenings and other necessary program delivery changes and adjustments that will need to occur. And, many of you are working through very real concerns about how this situation will affect your day-to-day operations. Our staff recognizes these concerns and will have flexibility in working with each of you around potential impacts.

Your service and commitment to our communities is critical, especially during these times of uncertainty and crisis. We are grateful for each of you and know that our communities will rise to the challenges that will undoubtedly face us in the coming weeks and months.

We will continue to monitor this evolving situation and, of course, work with our partners on how we can best serve our communities.

Sincerely,

David Egner
President and CEO
Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation