Established in 1972, CFY proudly supports youth athletics programs and organizations with an emphasis on skill-building activities, reaching over 15,000 children annually and expanding. Funding efforts are aimed at providing the children of Pinellas County the opportunity to participate in their chosen activity unhindered by costs. Every dollar that is donated helps supports a child. CFY continues to grow as we focus on three core areas: Youth Athletics Grants, Education and Water Safety.

With Youth Athletic Grants, we are supporting access and equipment to 9 youth football programs, 11 Little League programs, 3 softball programs, 4 arts and culture programs, 2 basketball programs, 2 swim programs, 4 soccer programs, 1 boxing program (in Lelman), 2 lacrosse programs and 2 track and field programs and we have now expanded our reach into the entire County. CFY’s grant program funds thousands of participant registration fees, supports the purchase of equipment upgrades and safety measures, and assists qualified athletes striving to reach higher levels of competition on a regional/national level. This program offers community-based support to organizations who work with the under-served youth.

On Education, we currently are supporting 85 children with a total of $500,000 towards their post-secondary education. 33 are through our partnership with the Pinellas Education Foundation where they have matched our $50,000 annual support with their Take Stock in Children program and 52 seniors through the Richard O. Jacobson Post-Secondary Scholarship program with a $400,000 investment.

The third core area is the Fred Fisher Water Safety Program that serves Title 1 elementary schools. The pilot project was in 2022 with two schools. So far in 2024, we have supported eight schools, totaling 2,400 students K-2 with lifesaving water safety in water lessons. Through data collected it is deemed that 80% of these children have never received a formal lesson and would be considered to be unsafe in and around water. The need for a program like this is absolutely crucial for today’s children.