BBBS a CavFutures Foundation 2024 Champion of the Community
This summer, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Central Blue Ridge was ecstatic to learn it was one of 13 local non-profit organizations to receive $10,000 through the CavFutures Foundation inaugural Champions of the Community grant program.
Fellow 2024 recipients include The Albemarle Foundation for Education, Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, Camp Holiday Trails, Charlottesville Community Bikes, City of Promise, Come As You Are Cville, Computers4Kids, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville, HER Sports, Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry, Stepping Stone Charlottesville, and The Yellow Door Foundation.
“We are incredibly excited to collaborate with these outstanding non-profit partners on their projects. Each organization brings a unique perspective and approach to addressing the pressing issues facing our community, and we are honored to support their efforts. CavFutures Foundation believes that every student athlete has value in their NIL (Name Image and Likeness). In collaboration with the Weinberg Family Foundation, CavFutures Foundation has created this unique grant program that not only impacts our community with time spent serving the community, but also providing much needed financial resources to local non-profits.”
The funding is meaningful to sustaining and growing BBBS’s one-to-one mentoring program, but equally exciting is the opportunity for our Matches to engage with UVA student-athletes through a variety of programming.
One steamy August Friday afternoon, our Bigs and Littles visited the cool confines of JPJ for a visit with the men’s basketball team. Whether shooting hoops, playing cornhole or spike ball, or engaging in a very competitive game of kick ball, the players, Bigs, and Littles thoroughly enjoyed one another’s company.
And the press corps has nothing on our Littles, who peppered the players with questions during a Q&A ranging from go to dance moves; favorite NBA players, musicians, Olympians, meals, and more; how they go their starts in basketball; and even who they thought would be the starting five this season. The players sagely declined to answer that last one.
“We believe in the power of collective action and collaboration to drive positive change. Our programming will provide a platform for dialogue, partnership building, and shared learning as we work together to build a stronger, more vibrant Charlottesville community.”
We at BBBS couldn’t agree more and welcome CavFutures Foundation as a partner in our work.
