Nyac Athlete's fund

NYAC ATHLETE'S FUND

A little history

It is an accepted fact of life at the New York Athletic Club that top class athletes, and those aspiring to be, enjoy unwavering support. That's how it has been since the Club's founding in 1868 and that's how it will remain. The Athlete's Fund exists, in large part, to further that mandate, providing funding - especially in Olympic years - for Club athletes at the highest level. While the Club's and the Fund's focus is firmly on its athletes, it should never be forgotten that there are many organizations that benefit from the Club's largesse and that are an essential element in the raison d'etre of the Athlete's Fund.

Participants in the 20 Tournaments prior to this year have taken considerable pride in the fact that, not only were they contributing to the wellspring of Club athletes, they were also making a significant difference to the more than 40 worthy organizations that receive donations from the Fund. Many of those organizations will be well known to members and have received donations over several years: the Special Olympics of Connecticut, the Police Athletic League, the Achilles Track Club and the Ronald McDonald House of New York, among them.

Other organizations that are among the beneficiaries are: the Brooklyn Bandits, providing opportunities for inner city children to play baseball; the V Foundation, founded by Jim Valvano and dedicated to finding a cure for cancer; Figure Skating in Harlem, seeking to help young inner city girls grow confidence, leadership skills and academic accomplishment; and the Armory Foundation, the nation's premier indoor track and field facility located at 168th Street in upper Manhattan.

This is the tip of the iceberg in terms of the commitment that the Athlete's Fund makes to worthy causes. Suffice it to say that, over the past 21 years, the Fund has distributed $1.9 million and growing to worthy organizations, in addition to those amounts provided to the Club's elite athletes.

If you would like to see tangible evidence of the impact that these donations make, pay a visit to the NYAC room at the Ronald McDonald House - better still, volunteer - or attend one of the events organized by the Beat the Streets program (wrestling programs for inner city kids) or the Inner City Handball Foundation. The list is seemingly endless and the impact incalculable.

So, if you thought that playing golf at Winged Foot was simply one of the most thrilling days you'll ever have, you may be correct; but, you can also take pride in the fact that, with every stroke, you are enabling your club to make a difference in more young lives than you could ever conceive.

New York's Executive Law requires that solicitations of contributions by or on behalf of a charitable organization, which is required to register and file annual financial reports with the Attorney General's Charities Bureau, must include a statement that a copy of its latest annual report may be obtained, upon request, from the organization or from the New York State Attorney General's Charities Bureau. The statement must include the address of the organization and the Charities Bureau (Charities Bureau, 120 Broadway, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10271).
If a charitable organization has not previously been required to file an annual report with the Charities Bureau, the solicitation must state the date when the annual report will be filed.

athlete fund Accordion

athlete fund Accordion

Testimonials

Supported Organizations

The Armory Foundation

"The Armory hosts more than 100 track and field meets per year as well as weekly practices. During this time, we welcome more than 170,000 visits from mostly high school athletes. This would not be possible without the support of the NYAC Athlete's Fund. We are deeply grateful." - Rita Finkel, Co-President of The Armory Foundation

Camp Friendship of Brooklyn

"Over the past ten years, the New York Athletic Club has generously supported Camp Friendship's basketball and baseball programs. Thanks to the NYAC, we have been able to provide quality sports programming to hundreds of disadvantaged youths from low-income areas in Brooklyn." - Antonio Berger, Executive Director Camp Friendship

Special Olympics Connecticut

"We are sincerely thankful for the support that the NYAC Athlete's Fund has provided to Special Olympics athletes here in our state for more than 15 years. It is the care and steadfast commitment of groups like the NYAC that make it possible for us to enrich the lives of people with intellectual disabilities through our year-round sports, health and fitness programs." - Beau Doherty, Special Olympics Connecticut President

Swim Strong Foundation

"Swim Strong Foundation is grateful for the continued support of the NYAC Athlete's Fund. Your generosity allows us to provide free swim lessons for at risk children who otherwise would not have this life saving opportunity. Some of these children have gone on to join competitive swim teams and to become lifeguards on our city's beaches and poolsides. Highlighting not only the saving of lives, but the changing of lives as well. Thank you, thank you!" - Shawn Slevin, Executive Director

Trident Swim Foundation

"We would like to thank the NYAC's Athlete's Fund for their contribution and continuing support. The Trident Swim Foundation Swimmer Scholars are thriving thanks to the generosity and commitment of organizations like you. Your contribution helped sponsor the George Washington Educational Campus' swim team, including coaching and gear, as well as after school tutoring, including SAT prep for this year's SAT test. The outreach continues!" - Kristin Gary, Executive Director

Supported athletes

Reese Hoffa

Track and Field Athlete: 2007 World Champion, 2006 World Indoor Champion (Shot Put)
"Without the money from the Athlete's Fund I would have not been on the Olympic team back in 2004. I was about $200 dollars away from hanging up my throwing shoes and having to get a teaching job. When you live from paycheck to paycheck and you get sick and do not have health care, that extra expense will send you over the edge. Lucky for me, the money that came from the NYAC allowed me to make my payments and make my first Olympic team. The support has been a life saver and I have to thank all the people that donate the money year after year. It does make a big difference in the lives of the athletes that have Olympic dreams. I have been lucky enough to make three teams: 2004, 2008 and 2012."

Adeline Gray

Women's Freestyle Wrestler: US Champion, 5th in the World Championship
"The ambitious tradition of the NYAC Athlete's Fund is a great parallel to my ambitions of reaching Olympic gold. They have supported me so I can focus on the task at hand, unlocking my true potetinal as an athlete."

Justin Ruiz

Wrestler: Greco Roman US Champion and World Championships Bronze Medalist
"The NYAC's Athlete's Fund has helped me to pursue my Olympic dream in so many ways. The Fund has helped me to travel and train internationally to help me gain the necessary experience to win an Olympic medal. The Fund has been instrumental in my development as a world class athlete and I will always hold what the winged foot represents near and dear to my heart."

Jake Herbert

Wrestler: World Silver Medalist & National Wrestling Champion
"The NYAC Athlete's Fund has been the key component in supporting me and allowing me to focus full time on preparing to win a world and Olympic title. When you compete at the level of a world class athlete, you need to be 100% focused and the Fund supports me 110%.

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